1. Conceptual Basis and Organization of Research. - 1. 1. General Background. - 1. 2. Objective of Research. - 1. 3. Methodology. - 1. 4. Conclusions and Discussion Regarding Hypotheses. - 2. Resource Availability and Environmental Characteristics of Mediterranean Type Ecosystems. - 2. 1. Introduction. - 2. 2. General Description of Regions. - 2. 3. Wind Temperature and Atmospheric Humidity. - 2. 4. Seasonal Patterns of Water Availability. - 2. 5. Seasonal Patterns of Solar Irradiance. - 2. 6. Environmental Influences on the Length of the Growing Season and Summer Drought. - 2. 7. Hypothetical Plant Responses. - 2. 8. Conclusions. - 3. The Plant Communities and Their Environments. - 3. 1. Introduction. - 3. 2. Species Abundance and Phyletic Similarity. - 3. 3. Vegetation Communities in Southern California and Central Chile. - 3. 4. Distribution of Species Along Gradients of Aspect Elevation and Moisture. - 3. 5. Distribution of Growth Forms Along Gradients of Aspect Elevation and Moisture. - 3. 6. Structural Similarity of Vegetation in Southern California and Central Chile. - 3. 7. Conclusions. - 4. Biomass Phenology and Growth. - 4. 1. Introduction. - 4. 2. Biomass. - 4. 3. Seasonal Biomass Dynamics. - 4. 4. Annual Biomass Budget of Chaparral Shrubs. - 4. 5. Conclusions. - 5. Microclimate and Energy Exchange. - 5. 1. Introduction. - 5. 2. Topographic Influence on Microclimates. - 5. 3. The Partitioning of Solar Irradiance by the Canopy and Soil. - 5. 4. The Partitioning of Absorbed Solar Irradiance in the Canopy. - 5. 5. Conduction. - 5. 6. Energy Budgets for Coastal and Montane Sites. - 5. 7. Effect of Vegetation Form on Microclimate Plant Temperature and Energy Exchange Processes. - 5. 8. Conclusions. - 6. Water Utilization. - 6. 1. Introduction. - 6. 2. Hydrologic Balance. - 6. 3. Control of Species Water Relations. - 6. 4. Diurnaland Seasonal Patterns of Plant Water Relations. - 6. 5. Environment and Plant Influences on Water Capture Efficiency. - 6. 6. Conclusions. - 7. Energy and Carbon Acquisition. - 7. 1. Introduction. - 7. 2. Patterns of Temperature and Light Dependency. - 7. 3. Simulated Temperature Sensitivity. - 7. 4. Simulated Fit of the Photosynthetic Temperature Optima. - 7. 5. Quantum Efficiency at Light Saturation. - 7. 6. Growth Form Effects on Photosynthetic Rate. - 7. 7. Relation Between Photosynthetic Competence and Cover. - 7. 8. Seasonal Patterns of Carbon Uptake. - 7. 9. Conclusions. - 8. Carbon Allocation and Utilization. - 8. 1. Introduction. - 8. 2. Carbon Losses Through Respiration. - 8. 3. Carbon-14 Dioxide Utilization. - 8. 4. Root Turnover. - 8. 5. Annual Carbon Budgets. - 8. 6. Simulated Temperature Sensitivity of Carbon Metabolism. - 8. 7. Organic Nutrient Levels. - 8. 8. Conclusions. - 9. Mineral Nutrient and Nonstructural Carbon Utilization. - 9. 1. Introduction. - 9. 2. Seasonal Patterns of Plant Nutrient Content. - 9. 3. Influences of Nutrients on Plant Growth. - 9. 4. Conclusions. - 10. Nutrient Cycling in Mediterranean Type Ecosystems. - 10. 1. Introduction. - 10. 2. Intersystem Cycles. - 10. 3. Nutrient Pools. - 10. 4. Intrasystem Cycles. - 10. 5. Conclusions Regarding Nutrient Dynamics During Ecosystem Development. - 11. Models of Plant and Soil Processes. - 11. 1. Introduction. - 11. 2. Canopy Process Simulator. - 11. 3. The Mediterranean Ecosystem Simulator. - 11. 4. Validation. - 11. 5. Conclusions. - 12. Similarities and Limitations of Resource Utilization in Mediterranean Type Ecosystems. - 12. 1. Introduction. - 12. 2. Similarities of Resource Use and Resource-Use Efficiency. - 12. 3. Environmental Limitations of Resource Use and Resource Use Efficiency. - 12. 4. Functional Interpretation of Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Mediterranean Shrub Vegetation. - 12. 5. Relative Importance of Plant Adaptations Versus Environment in Affecting Resource Use and Resource-Use Efficiency. - 12. 6. Conclusions. - Literature Cited. - Resumen / Gloria Montenegro. Language: English