Plants defy climate change through acclimation

Climate change has emerged as a formidable challenge to plant life on Earth. Changes in the environment, which plants are unaccustomed to, disrupt their growth, posing grave risks.

Increasingly, plant scientists strive to comprehend how these environmental changes will impact plant life and whether plants can acclimate to a new status quo.

Adaptations of paper birch trees

A team of researchers from the Walker lab at the Michigan State University-U.S. Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, or PRL, has set their sights on how paper birch trees adapt to changing environments. They are keen on understanding the management of an important plant process known as photorespiration.

“If plant metabolism was a freeway system, photorespiration would be the second-highest trafficked road,” noted Berkley Walker, an associate professor in the Department of Plant Biology in the PRL.

The question is whether the roads of this crucial pathway can handle all this traffic under present and predicted climate conditions.

Acclimation in humans and plants

Acclimation refers to the adjustment of living organisms to altered conditions. In humans, we acclimate when we adapt to the cold weather of winter or while getting accustomed to a new job.

However, plants must acclimate too, which is made complex by the fact that the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and global warming have contrasting effects on photosynthesis and photorespiration.

As the temperature rises, so does photorespiration, but when CO2 levels rise, photorespiration decreases. This interplay may modify the efficiency of photorespiration.

Paper birch response to climate

In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research team examined whether paper birch trees adjusted the activity of photorespiratory enzymes under varying environmental conditions.

Paper birch trees were selected because they inhabit boreal forest biomes located in the northernmost parts of the planet, which are expected to be among the ecosystems hit hardest by climate change.

The experimental growth conditions mirrored current, moderate, and extreme climate change scenarios for these boreal forest regions, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In each scenario, researchers modified the CO2 concentration and increased air temperatures in various combinations.

“This study explored whether plants fine-tuned their enzyme capacity based on demand or whether they keep a buffer, so they have extra capacity in reserve to handle unpredictable changes,” said Luke Gregory, former graduate student in the Walker lab and first author on the study. 

Plant growth in a changing climate

Trees for the study were grown from seeds at the University of Western Ontario by researchers in Professor Danielle Way’s lab. They used the university’s Biotron, a research facility capable of simulating almost any climate on Earth.

Surprisingly, the experts found that the trees did not increase their enzyme capacity depending on the climate they were grown in. Instead, they maintained similar capacities across all six future climate scenarios.

Remarkably, the measured enzyme capacities were more than adequate for the photorespiratory pathway, implying that the trees were poised to grow even under changing conditions.

Plant resilience in changing climates

Gregory highlighted an intriguing find: the plants have a “safety factor” or buffer capacity that enables them to cope with different changes, whether under current, moderate, or extreme conditions.

This discovery offers a glimmer of hope that plants have a built-in mechanism which might help them survive the adverse effects of climate change, at least in terms of photorespiration.

That being said, this research is just one piece of the larger puzzle in comprehending how photorespiration is and will continue to be impacted by human-induced climate change.

Plant resilience in the face of climate change

“It’s important that we understand how plants are responding to current conditions and future conditions because we need them in our lives,” said Gregory.

The question of whether plants can acclimate or adapt over generations to these altered environments is pertinent as they provide us with oxygen, food, and energy.

This study opens a new window to appreciate and understand plant resilience in the face of the relentless challenges posed by climate change.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–