In this translation of the French edition (L"U. de Saint-"etienne, 1999), the author treats the interrelated factors that inform plants" adaptations to their environments. Applying ecophysiological principles to identify mechanisms of dysfunction in ecosystems, he presents data-based cases for: less stressful growing methods (e.g., using cultivars that require less water and polluting fertilizers); confining genetically modified organisms to the lab; and reality-based holistic studies.