General Biology -- Biodiversity, Biology and Conservation of Medicinal Plants of the Thar Desert -- Potentiality of Hydrocarbon Yielding Plants for Future Energy and Chemicals -- Biology and Biotechnological Advances in Jatropha curcas – a Biodiesel Plant -- Biology of Annual Plants in Arid and Semi-Arid Desert Regions of China -- Soil Biology in Traditional Agroforestry Systems of the Indian Desert -- Aspects of Mycorrhizae in Desert Plants -- Anatomical Variations in the Woody Plants of Arid Areas -- Diversity and Conservation in the Cactus Family -- Reproductive Biology -- Reproductive Biology of Some Gum-Producing Indian Desert Plants -- Reproductive Biology of Cactaceae -- Parthenocarpy and Seed Production in Burseraceae -- Ecophysiological Studies -- Photosynthesis of C4 Desert Plants -- Polyamines and Plant Adaptation to Saline Environments -- Ecology of Inland Saline Plants -- Ecophysiology of Prosopis Species From the Arid Lands of Argentina: What Do We Know About Adaptation to Stressful Environments? -- Plant Growth Inhibitors From Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) -- Biotechnological Studies -- Genetic Variation in the Tunisian Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) -- Biology and Multiplication of Prosopis species Grown in the Thar Desert -- Biotechnology Advances in Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) -- Date Palm Cultivation in the Changing Scenario of Indian Arid Zones: Challenges and Prospects -- Runoff-Rainwater for Sustainable Desert Farming -- Biotechnological Approaches to Aphrodisiac Plants of Rajasthan, India.

Vast areas of Earth's landmass exist as deserts, representing quite distinct ecosystems. Desert plants and animals have evolved specialised survival strategies to cope with the harsh environment of high temperatures and scarce water resources. The life-supporting vegetation of deserts is characterised by its unique reproductive biology, metabolism and adaptive characters. Plants like Prosopis cineraria and date palm form the basis of the rural economy in many countries, and are of great cultural importance; Jojoba and Jatropha have attracted interest as non-conventional sources of industrial oil and biodiesel. This book includes chapters on the seed biology, reproduction, mycorrhizae, stress physiology, and metabolism of desert plants, and describes current biotechnological approaches to their cultivation. It will be useful to researchers, teachers and students in the fields of plant sciences, agriculture, and forestry, and those involved in the management and conservation of desert ecosystems.