Abstract:

The origin and development of ecological plant physiology is discussed. An important subject of plant ecology, ecological plant physiology probes the mechanisms of an ecological phenomenon through physiological theory and technology. According to the available historical information, A. F. W. Schimper, a German sophist, can be regarded as the father of this subject. However, the person who suggested that ecological plant physiology be treated as an independent field of ecology was W. D. Billings. Professor W. Larcher has contributed greatly to the promulgation of the subject throughout the world. In China, the modern development of ecological plant physiology was due to Professor T. T. Li. However, the translation and promulgation of Larcher's works was done by Professor B. Li, who popularized this subject in the ecological field of China. Nowadays, the study of ecological plant physiology has expanded rapidly both overseas and in China, largely owing to the fact that it can explain ecological processes on the basis of eco-physiological mechanisms and help guide the sustainable use of natural resources. For Chinese researchers, hot topics such as the response of plants to environmental stresses that grow on the Tibetan Plateau, the response of plants to CO2 enriched environments, and plant responses to restoration efforts of human degraded ecosystems should be of particular interest.