Technical Abstract: It has been estimated that up to 82% of potential yield of annual crops is lost due to abiotic stress every year, and the amount of available, productive arable land continues to decrease worldwide, forcing agriculture to areas where the potential for abiotic stress is even greater. These two observations, provided by the editors in the preface of "Plant Abiotic Stress" provide persuasive arguments for extensive study of plants' response to abiotic stress. Through the course of the nine chapters of this book, the 38 contributors provide a very thorough and in-depth review of abiotic stress factors plants may endure, both naturally-occurring and man-made, and the mechanisms a plant may engage in response.