Preface to the First Edition
Numerical examples are presented to illustrate many of the principles,
and are given at the end of each chapter to help the student develop skills
using the equations. Working of problems should be considered as essential to gaining an understanding of modern environmental biophysics
as it is to any course in physics or engineering. The last four chapters of
the book attempt to apply physical principles to exchange processes of
living organisms, the intent was to indicate approaches that either could
be or have been used to solve particular problems. The presentation was
not intended to be exhaustive, and in many cases, assumptions made will
severely limit the applicability of the solutions. It is hoped that the reader
will find these examples helpful but will use the principles presented in
the first part of the book to develop his own approaches to problems, using
assumptions that fit the particular problem of interest.
Literature citation have been given at the end of each chapter to indicate
sources of additional material and possibilities for further reading. Again,
the citations were not meant to be exhaustive.
Many people contributed substantially to this book. I first became interested in environmental biophysics while working as an undergraduate in
the laboratory of the late Sterling Taylor. Walter Gardner has contributed
substantially to my understanding of the subject through comments and
discussion, and provided editorial assistance on early chapters of the
book. Marcel Fuchs taught me about light penetration in plant canopies,
provided much helpful discussion on other aspects of the book, and read
and commented on the entire manuscript. James King read Chapters 7
and 8 and made useful criticisms which helped the presentation. He and
his students in zoology have been most helpful in providing discussion
and questions which led to much of the material presented in Chapter
7. Students in my Environmental Biophysics classes have offered many
helpful criticisms to make the presentation less ambiguous and, I hope,
more understandable. Several authors and publishers gave permission to
use figures, Karen Ricketts typed all versions of the manuscript, and my
wife, Judy, edited the entire manuscript and offered the help and encouragement necessary to bring this project to completion. To all of these
people, I am most grateful.
Pullman, 1977
G. S. C.
Numerical examples are presented to illustrate many of the principles,
and are given at the end of each chapter to help the student develop skills
using the equations. Working of problems should be considered as essential to gaining an understanding of modern environmental biophysics
as it is to any course in physics or engineering. The last four chapters of
the book attempt to apply physical principles to exchange processes of
living organisms, the intent was to indicate approaches that either could
be or have been used to solve particular problems. The presentation was
not intended to be exhaustive, and in many cases, assumptions made will
severely limit the applicability of the solutions. It is hoped that the reader
will find these examples helpful but will use the principles presented in
the first part of the book to develop his own approaches to problems, using
assumptions that fit the particular problem of interest.
Literature citation have been given at the end of each chapter to indicate
sources of additional material and possibilities for further reading. Again,
the citations were not meant to be exhaustive.
Many people contributed substantially to this book. I first became interested in environmental biophysics while working as an undergraduate in
the laboratory of the late Sterling Taylor. Walter Gardner has contributed
substantially to my understanding of the subject through comments and
discussion, and provided editorial assistance on early chapters of the
book. Marcel Fuchs taught me about light penetration in plant canopies,
provided much helpful discussion on other aspects of the book, and read
and commented on the entire manuscript. James King read Chapters 7
and 8 and made useful criticisms which helped the presentation. He and
his students in zoology have been most helpful in providing discussion
and questions which led to much of the material presented in Chapter
7. Students in my Environmental Biophysics classes have offered many
helpful criticisms to make the presentation less ambiguous and, I hope,
more understandable. Several authors and publishers gave permission to
use figures, Karen Ricketts typed all versions of the manuscript, and my
wife, Judy, edited the entire manuscript and offered the help and encouragement necessary to bring this project to completion. To all of these
people, I am most grateful.
Pullman, 1977
G. S. C.