Richard F.E. Crang is Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, United States. His research has been largely focused on the anatomical responses of vegetation due to environmental impacts -- air pollution in particular. He has a special interest in botanical applications of microscopy.

Cover Illustration: A mirrored image of a portion of the stem of bulrush (Scirpus sp.)
as seen in cross-sectional view.