Ecological importance of ferns

摘要: Introduction Ferns immediately capture the imagination of all who are fortunate enough to notice them. With their large, highly dissected and shiny green leaves, ferns so visually appealing that many sold as ornamentals. Most moist woodlands will have a number fern species blanketing understory with pungent foliage. In tropical woodlands, often at eye level or above, providing an aesthetic delicate subcanopy. Even in arid lands on newly exposed surfaces such burns, clear-cuts landslides, can be present sometimes dominant, catching your full attention you push through thickets get snagged by spines. Beyond immediate visual appeal, curious objects. How do plants ancient origin persist modern world? something fragile survive trampling, burning, logging grazing? lycophytes were long considered mystical plants, because people did not understand how they could reproduce without ever producing flower, fruit seed (Moran, 2004). this book, we address mystique surrounds exploring ecology, relate environment. Throughout world, whenever focus ecological research, important surprising findings emerge. We four approaches ecology. First, provide conceptual synthesis rapidly expanding field ecology order establish framework for future research encourage interdisciplinary studies ferns.