**Meet the editor**

Dr. Şener Akıncı received his PhD degree in 1997 from Sheffield University, England. Since then he has been studying Stress Physiology at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, Turkey, where he is Vice Director of the " Native Plants and Water Products Applied Research Center". He has published more than 15 original research articles national-

ly and internationally, and one book chapter in 2012 issued by In Tech. He is currently working as Associate Professor at the Botany section, Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Marmara University, Turkey.

Contents

**Preface VII**

Masaharu Motoshita

**Ecosystem 17**

Gomes-Filho

Chapter 1 **Quantification of Stress Arisen from Freshwater Consumption**

Chapter 2 **Drought and Its Consequences to Plants – From Individual to**

Dias de Azevedo Neto and Carlos Dias da Silva Junior

Chapter 4 **Comparison Between the Water and Salt Stress Effects on Plant**

Chapter 3 **Tolerance to Drought in Leguminous Plants Mediated by**

Chapter 5 **Silicon: A Benefic Element to Improve Tolerance in Plants**

Lina Jaber, Mabelle Chedid and Shadi Hamadeh

José Marques and Cândido Ferreira de Oliveira Neto

**Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium 49**

**Growth and Development 67**

**Exposed to Water Deficiency 95**

Chapter 6 **Water Stress in Small Ruminants 115**

Chapter 7 **Water Stress and Agriculture 151**

Elizamar Ciríaco da Silva, Manoel Bandeira de Albuquerque, André

Allan Klynger da Silva Lobato, Joaquim Albenísio Gomes da Silveira, Roberto Cezar Lobo da Costa and Cândido Ferreira de Oliveira Neto

Alexandre Bosco de Oliveira, Nara Lídia Mendes Alencar and Enéas

Allan Klynger da Silva Lobato, Elaine Maria Silva Guedes, Douglas

Sonia Marli Zingaretti, Marielle Cascaes Inácio, Lívia de Matos Pereira, Tiago Antunes Paz and Suzelei de Castro França

**in the Context of Life Cycle Assessment 1**

## Contents

## **Preface XI**


Preface

regulation.

could be negatively affected by 2025.

Water is a fundamental requirement for life and an essential factor for all organisms, from cells to whole body, and from first cell division until death. Globally only 2.5% of water is present as fresh water, of which about 68% is in glaciers and 30% in ground water. The rest is to be found as atmospheric humidity, surface water in the form of rivers and lakes, soil moisture, and in plants and animals. Water has a crucial role as a permanent substance of the central vacuole in plant cells, with the water component ranging from 85-95% in fresh

Water stress is one of the major environmental factors that affects most terrestrial organisms, and in plants leads to readily distinguishable effects on growth parameters, accompanied by changes in biomass ratios and physiological and biochemical alterations. Stress symptoms are visible morphologically and as biomass reduction depending on the severity and duration of drought exposure. Water stress (drought) decreases plant water potential and turgor, causing physiological difficulties, inhibition of photosynthesis and respiration, effects on metabolic and biochemical processes, changes in carbohydrate content, quantity and quality of nutrients, translocation, lipid composition in leaves, and plant hormone

Water stress not only effects plant-animal community interactions but also human societies, as a result of impacts on horticultural systems and agricultural lands, as well as natural ecosystems. Every year many cultivated areas of the world experience drought, particularly in arid and semi-arid climates. Water loss and lack of water availability from soil is therefore of considerable importance in agricultural and horticultural areas, where crop production mostly depends directly on precipitation regimes, since use of irrigation is limited on a world scale. It is well known that drought can cause more than 50% of yield reduction in most crop plants. The United Nations' FAO states that by 2025, 1.9 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under water-stress conditions. Since about one-third of potential arable land is facing water scarcity, and yield production in the remainder may be adversely affected by periodic drought, FAO reports state that more than half of the world population

The editor hopes that this wide-ranging book, with seven chapters, will be beneficial for all those interested in plant-water research, including students, researchers from scientific institutions and universities, and other professionals. The editor cordially extends his thanks to the authors, who are from all over the world, for their valuable contribution to the book. He also would like to express his appreciation particularly to Ms. Daria Nahtigal, Ms. Maria

leaves and young tissues, 35-75% in woody parts and stems, and 5-15% in dry seeds.
