Book reviews478

described and methods of assessing metal impacts on

microbial dynamics in soils are evaluated. The need

for refinement of methods and the experimental approach

when evaluating microbial community dynamics is clearly

illustrated.

Remediation of contaminated areas is addressed in

several chapters. Bioremediation of toxic substances is

reviewed, although the majority of the chapter deals with

non-metallic substances that can be degraded with only brief

coverage of bioremediation of heavy metal contamination.

A comprehensive chapter describes the various mechanisms

by which microbially mediated processes may directly and

indirectly affect heavy metal availability and outlines the

practical implications for dealing with contamination by

using microbial methods to affect availability. This provides

a good summation of available references on this subject.

Another well-referenced review of current experience in

phytoremediation of lead contaminated sites also provides a

discussion of the principles that relate to remediation of

other metals.

The introduction of the book indicates that the objective

was to incorporate both theoretical and practical aspects of

the subject matter and provide baseline information for

future research. The authors have provided a good

compilation of information that should be useful to students

and researchers working in environmental and soil science.

Cynthia Grant*

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,

Brandon Research Centre,

Box 1000A, R.R.#3, Brandon,

Manitoba, Canada R7A 5Y3

*Tel.: +1 204 578 3570

E-mail address: cgrant@agr.gc.ca

Available online 8 December 2006

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.10.008

Ethnobotany: A Methods Manual, G.J. Martin. Earth-

scan, London, United Kingdom (2004). 268 pp., softback,

U.K. £24.95, ISBN: 1-84407-084-0

Ethnobotany is concerned with how different cultural

groups perceive, use and manage plants. It is a field-based

area of inquiry, and most studies have been carried out

among ‘‘traditional’’ peoples in rural settings. Ethnobota-

nical research, apart from being fascinating in its own right,

also has significant practical value, particularly when

conducted in collaboration with local people and directed

towards community development and the conservation of

biodiversity. Ethnobotany: A Methods Manual is a very

useful resource for people wishing to engage in this work.

The purpose of the manual is to describe the basic concepts,

methods and techniques of ethnobotanical data collection

and analysis, and is meant for a broad audience of people

new to the field.

The first chapter focuses on research design and includes

a section on rapid ethnobotanical appraisal. As the author

stresses, ethnobotany is a multidisciplinary enterprise, and

most of the remainder of the book is organized into chapters

focusing on six individual fields—botany, ethnopharmacol-

ogy, anthropology, ecology, economics and linguistics. Each

of these chapters describes key concepts, methods and

procedures. For example, the botany chapter discusses the

various ways of collecting and preparing herbarium speci-

mens. The next chapter, on ethnopharmacology, provides an

overview of phytochemical analysis and different screening

techniques. The anthropology chapter discusses interview

techniques as well as other ethnographic research methods,

and provides good advice for interviewers on how to build

rapport and avoid inappropriate behaviour. Successive

chapters cover, among other things, quadrat sampling,

measuring plant diversity, calculating the economic value of

a forest, conducting a survey of local markets, and

investigating folk classification systems.

One of the strengths of this book is that is provides a

wide-ranging overview and a description and discussion of a

broad array of terms and concepts, including everything

from spirit collections, seed banks, secondary metabolites,

belt transects, relative dominance and maximum sustainable

yields, to discount rates, net present value, toponyms, emic

categories, phonemes, humoral properties, over-differen-

tiated classification and intellectual property rights. Martin

also consistently points out the advantages, disadvantages

and potential pitfalls of different methods, and their

suitability in different contexts—in short, he gives a lot

of good advice for novices, drawing from extensive personal

experience. He also includes numerous examples to

illustrate how methods are actually carried out in the field.

The only limitation here is that the collection of cases is not

well balanced. Most come from tropical forest regions,

particularly Mexico. Overall, the book neglects methodo-

logical issues of greater relevance to cold, temperate and arid

environments.

This manual has two significant limitations. In the first

place, there is an overemphasis on the classification and use

of plants, and very little on local knowledge of plant ecology.

Indigenous peoples have detailed understanding of such

things as how crops are affected by different environmental

conditions, phenologies, pollination, herbivory and seed

dispersal mechanisms. If a primary purpose of ethnobotany

is to inform and promote community-based conservation,

this type of local knowledge – and how it influences local

management practices – is of critical importance. Another

weakness is an overemphasis on quantitative research

methods. The book includes extensive sections describing

statistical methods, ranking systems, matrixes, indices and

various other measures. In contrast, while there is some

discussion of ethnobotanical information found in myths and

Book reviews 479

legends, there is very little on the nuanced, subjective

connections between plants and religion, kinship, identity or

cultural history. In fact, when the author uses the term

‘‘cultural importance’’ he is really referring to the economic

value of plants, not their symbolic or social value. In this

sense, his approach to ethnobotany is rather conventional,

focusing on classification and measurement and does not

encourage readers to explore other ways of understanding

the interactions between people and plants. Nevertheless,

many people will surely find this book very useful and it

remains a good introduction to the field.

Derek A. Smith*

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies,

Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6

*Tel.: +1 613 520 2600

E-mail address: dereka_smith@carleton.ca

Available online 20 November 2006

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.10.004

Plant Pathology, G.N. Agrios. Fifth ed. Elsevier Aca-

demic Press, Burlington, MA (2005). 922 pp., Hardcover,

Price: US$ 74.95, ISBN: 0-12-044565-4.

I have mentioned to numerous undergraduate and

graduate students during the past two decades that plant

pathologists are indeed fortunate to have the text Plant

Pathology by George N. Agrios as an accessible, compre-

hensive reference on many aspects of phytopathology.

Previous editions of this text were published in 1969, 1978,

1988, and 1999, and this fifth and ‘‘probably the last’’

edition continues this tradition. It represents a notable

improvement over previous editions.

The content of the fifth edition (922 pages) represents a

significant expansion of content from the fourth edition (635

pages). It is organized in the familiar format of Part 1, on

general or topical aspects of plant pathology (353 pages),

and Part 2, on specific groups of plant pathogens and

diseases (532 pages). Overall, the format of individual

chapters is similar to the previous edition, and there are no

new chapters presented in this edition although there are

numerous new sections within individual chapters. Revised

chapters contain significant expansion of text, figures, and

photographs. A new feature in the book is shaded text boxes

that contain brief articles of separate but related topics such

as sudden oak death, soybean rust, food safety, and

bioterrorism. In the introductory chapter, for example, this

new format results in a more captivating introduction to the

history and importance of plant pathology and includes more

detail on some of the important people and events that have

contributed to its development. This new format is equally

effective in other revised chapters.

The most obvious and enjoyable new feature in the fifth

edition is the extensive and integrated use of color. In the

fourth edition, the use of color was limited to a central insert

of 16 pages of color images, mostly photographs of selected

plant diseases. The new edition uses color throughout the

entire book, including the graphical layout, text, photographs,

and illustrations. Disease cycles and other illustrations

familiar from previous editions have been colored also, and

this is helpful in distinguishing various aspects of importance.

Many of the photographic plates have been revised with new

and often better images. There are many new photographs

compared to the fourth edition and these photographs were

obtained from a variety of sources, including the slide

collection of the Western Committee on Plant Diseases,

Canada, for general use for educational purposes. Overall,

the extensive use of color in the fifth edition readily

accomplishes ‘‘the author’s dream to have all the figures in

color’’ and is a welcome addition to this new edition.

There are no important disadvantages to the new text. The

layout of the Table of Contents makes it somewhat

challenging to find a topic of specific interest but there

are brief Tables of Contents in the front of individual

chapters that are helpful. The comprehensive index to the

text is very helpful as topics, pathogens, and diseases are all

cross-indexed. The glossary has also been expanded with the

addition of new terms such as agroterrorism, allozyme,

cecropins, comparative genomics, and kinase. Definitions of

many of the terms are adequate although on occasion

simplified and conflicting definitions for some terms may be

found in the scientific literature.

Discussions with several colleagues and students raised

the question of where this text would best fit into a plant

pathology curriculum. The expanded content and physical

weight (approximately 3 kg) of the text may restrict its

acceptance in undergraduate courses, although it is

competitively priced for undergraduate student use. This

text is also suitable as a reference text for both undergraduate

and graduate students and anyone else with an interest or

need for a resource text on plant pathology.

Overall, the fifth edition is a welcome addition to the

literature on Plant Pathology, and is highly recommended to

anyone with an interest in this area of study.

G.J. Boland

Department of Environmental Biology,

University of Guelph,

Guelph, Ont. N1G 2W1, Canada

E-mail address: gboland@uoguelph.ca

Available online 15 December 2006

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.10.009