How future climate conditions will transform plant growth

Earth’s climate is changing fast, and scientists are racing to understand how plants will respond. As temperatures rise and carbon dioxide levels increase, plants face new challenges and opportunities.

Some may grow larger, while others might struggle to maintain their natural processes. Understanding these shifts is essential for predicting future agricultural yields and ecosystem stability.

Researchers at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory (PRL) Sharkey lab are studying how plant metabolism reacts to high light and high CO2 (HLHC) conditions.

The findings reveal that plants photosynthesize more in these conditions, which can result in larger plants and higher crop yields. However, this process comes with a cost – plants also lose carbon, a key component for making food.

These results, published in Scientific Reports, highlight the complexity of plant responses to environmental changes.

The future of plant metabolism

Scientists predict two major environmental shifts will affect plant metabolism. First, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels will continue rising.

Second, global brightening will alter light conditions, as more solar radiation reaches the Earth’s surface than in previous decades.

These shifts will impact how plants grow and process carbon. Understanding these effects is crucial for future agricultural and ecological planning.

Increasing photosynthesis rates

“Our work demonstrates that it’s very important to study photosynthesis and the carbon metabolism in plants,” said Yuan Xu, postdoctoral researcher in the Sharkey lab and first author of the study.

“Especially when we think about conditions for the future based on predictions. If you want to do bioengineering in the future, to make a plant that can better adapt to these future conditions, you need to focus on these areas.”

The experts found that in future conditions, photosynthesis rates increase, but light respiration rates remain unchanged. This means plants can produce more sucrose and starch, which are vital for their survival and growth.

How plants store carbon

“Most carbon fixed in photosynthesis becomes either starch [to use later] – like putting money in your bank account – or sucrose (table sugar) to use now – like buying an ice cream cone,” said Thomas D. Sharkey, University Distinguished Professor in the PRL.

“The most surprising observation was that extra carbon at high light and high carbon dioxide went much more to starch (76% increase) rather than sucrose (41% increase). This may help plants become more resilient because they will have extra carbon for growth or defense.”

Larger plants and increased crop yields could result from this higher rate of photosynthesis. However, a challenge remains: plants also lose carbon during the process, reducing the total available food.

Resilience of future plants

During photosynthesis, plants release CO2 through a process called respiration in light (RL).

The researchers found that RL remains constant under both current and future conditions. Despite increased photosynthesis, the rate at which plants release CO2 through RL does not change.

This suggests that while plants may grow larger, they still lose a steady amount of carbon. Understanding this balance is essential for improving plant resilience in changing environments.

Measuring plant carbon loss

To analyze RL under HLHC conditions, researchers used a unique approach. Traditional methods like the Laisk or Kok techniques only work in low light conditions.

“That’s why this study is unique,” Xu explained. “We used a new approach to measure the RL in the high light condition that cannot be measured using the old method.”

Xu applied a technique known as isotopically nonstationary metabolic flux analysis (INST-MFA). This method, commonly used in bacteria and fungi studies, has rarely been applied to plant research.

Future research directions

The Sharkey lab plans to continue exploring respiration in light using advanced research techniques. Their goal is to deepen the understanding of how plants take in and release carbon dioxide.

“We know from this study that many things are changed [under future conditions] including photosynthesis, photorespiration and respiration in the light,” Xu said. “This gave a hint for future work.”

The research was funded by the Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences at the U.S. Department of Energy.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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