The Evolutionary Ecology of Plant Disease

by Gregory S. Gilbert, Ingrid Parker

Understanding the symbiosis between plants and pathogenic microbes is at the core of effective disease management for crops and managed forests. At the same time, plant-pathogen interactions comprise a wonderfully diverse set of ecological relationships that are powerful and yet so commonplace that they often go unnoticed. Ecologists and evolutionary biologists are increasingly exploring the terrain of plant disease ecology, investigating topics such as how pathogens shape diversity in plant communities, how features of plant-microbe interactions including host range and mutualism/antagonism evolve, and how biological invasions, climate change, and other agents of global change can drive disease emergence. Traditional training in ecology and evolutionary biology seldom provides structured exposure to plant pathology or microbiology, and training in plant pathology rarely offers depth in the theoretical frameworks of evolutionary ecology or includes examples from complex wild
ecosystems. This novel textbook seeks to unite the research communities of plant disease ecology and plant pathology by bridging this gap.

336 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2023

About the author

Gregory Gilbert is a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a research associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panamá. Trained both as a plant pathologist and an evolutionary ecologist, he does research on how fungi and plants interact in tropical rain forests and among the California redwood forests and grasslands. He is an enthusiastic teacher helping students learn through experiential learning outdoors and through genuine scientific inquiry. While writing mostly non-fiction about plant diseases, he prefers reading novels from Latin America and Spain.

Reviews

[Wisconsin Alumni]

Gregory Gilbert MS’88, PhD’91
Coauthor

From the Coauthor:
Understanding the symbiosis between plants and pathogenic microbes is at the core of effective disease management for crops and managed forests. At the same time, plant-pathogen interactions comprise a wonderfully diverse set of ecological relationships that are powerful and yet so commonplace that they often go unnoticed. Ecologists and evolutionary biologists are increasingly exploring the terrain of plant disease ecology, investigating topics such as how pathogens shape diversity in plant communities, how features of plant-microbe interactions including host range and mutualism/antagonism evolve, and how biological invasions, climate change, and other agents of global change can drive disease emergence. Traditional training in ecology and evolutionary biology seldom provides structured exposure to plant pathology or microbiology, and training in plant pathology rarely offers depth in the theoretical frameworks of evolutionary ecology or includes examples from complex wild ecosystems. This novel textbook seeks to unite the research communities of plant disease ecology and plant pathology by bridging this gap.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers A LOT of basic ecology concepts in a really nice and succinct way with a focus toward disease ecology and evolution. Really good basic book for anyone new to the field of disease or ecology!