Volume 14 (2008)

LA GÉNOMIQUE EN BIOLOGIE VÉGÉTALE, INRA Editions, Paris, 2004 Co-ordinated by J.-F.MOROT-GAUDRY, J. F. BRIAT

GOGU GHIORGHIŢĂ

The progress registered in Genetics and Molecular Biology during the last decade brought a more optimistic future perspective in areas of great importance to mankind, such as: plant and animal melioration by means of genomic manipulation, new technologies for the production of useful compounds, energy generation, environmental protection, treatment of incurable or genetic diseases in human beings etc. Genomic sequencing of some microorganisms, animals, plants and humans gives us hope that one day we shall be able to deal with every theoretical and practical difficulty that will challenge humanity. The DNA sequencing of Arabidopsis was the starting point for a “gene inventory” in the nucleus of a higher plant, the structural and functional study of those genes, the detection of genomic insertion loci for genetic mobile elements, the specific exploitation of biodiversity, the generation of valuable genotypes of some crops that are important for their components and resistance to biotic and abiotic factors, highlighting some new techniques for plant biodiversity preservation etc. Vegetal genomics is still at dawn and the perspectives given by the discoveries in this field are still hard to figure out.

WARING, R. H., RUNNING, S. W. (2007). FOREST ECOSYSTEMS – ANALYSIS AT MULTIPLE SCALES, 3RD EDITION. ELSEVIER ACADEMIC PRESS, USA

MILIAN GURĂU

The modeling of forest ecosystems responses has increased significantly in the last decade to include biodiversity and climatic limitations. At the same time, the network of sites that continuously monitor seasonal and interannual variation in CO2 and water vapor exchange has grown. The authors emphasize that forest disturbance and recovery can be more accurately documented than was previously possible. On the international plane there are many studies about climatic changes and the authors want to provide background material to policy makers charged with designing policies that reduce carbon emissions and perpetuate healthy forests in an unstable climate with new mixtures of species.