Abstract
This book contains 19 chapters focusing on the water use by crops that depends on the instantaneous volume of water in the rooting zone, the rate at which it can move to the root surfaces and into the plant, as well as the rate of evaporation from the substomatal cavities in the leaves and stems. The dynamics of water through the hydrologic cycle and the associated mechanisms that the plant employs to optimize its growth potential are discussed and a multidisciplinary introduction to the fundamentals and applications of water dynamics in managed and natural ecosystems is presented.