The effect of climate change on plants
Md. Habibur Rahman
4th Year 1st Semester
Md. Habibur Rahman
4th Year 1st Semester
“Plants form the basis of every major terrestrial ecosystem on our planet, but despite their key importance to all life, we currently have an extremely limited understanding of how they will be affected by climate change” (Belinda Hawkins). “What we do know is that this new climatic era will have its ‘winner’ and ‘loser’ species, and unfortunately many of humankind’s most valued crops, medicinal and ornamental plants are likely to fall into the latter category.”
There are several reasons why plants and animals are less able to adapt to the current phase of global warming. One is the very rapid pace of change: it is anticipated that over the next century, the rise in average global temperatures will be faster than anything experienced by the planet for at least 10,000 years. Many species will simply be unable to adapt quickly enough to the new conditions, or to move to regions more suited to their survival.
The world's climate is being changed due to human activities inadvertently leading to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. Globally air temperatures are increasing at 0.7oC per century. These changes are inevitably leading to more and more world records being set. However, the likely impact of global warming on plants and ecosystems remains poorly understood. It has recently been realized that historical records of the year-by-year behavior of plants can provide valuable measures of a plant's sensitivity to climate change.
Changes in distributions:
If climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation change in a region beyond the tolerance of a species phenotypic plasticity, then distribution changes of the species may be inevitable. There is already strong evidence that plant species are shifting their ranges in altitude and latitude as a response to changing regional climates.
When compared to the reported past migration rates of plant species, the rapid pace of current change has the potential to not only alter species distributions, but also render many species as unable to follow the climate to which they are adapted.
Changes in life-cycles (Phenology):
The timing of phonological events such as flowering is often related to environmental variables such as temperature. Changing environments are therefore expected to lead to changes in life cycle events, and these have been recorded for many species of plants. These changes have the potential to lead to the asynchrony between species, or to change competition between plants.
Temperature increase:
High temperatures produce heat stress in the plants, they grow less, and they produce less. In some cases, the plants do not produce at all since excessive heat causes sterility of the pollen.
A temperature increase may be beneficial in some areas that are very cold at present and plants cannot be grown during the frozen winters.
Climate change implies extremely quick temperature change, so vegetation and crops will have to adapt to the new conditions in an unusually short time. This may cause additional problems with the vegetation.
There are several reasons why plants and animals are less able to adapt to the current phase of global warming. One is the very rapid pace of change: it is anticipated that over the next century, the rise in average global temperatures will be faster than anything experienced by the planet for at least 10,000 years. Many species will simply be unable to adapt quickly enough to the new conditions, or to move to regions more suited to their survival.
The world's climate is being changed due to human activities inadvertently leading to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. Globally air temperatures are increasing at 0.7oC per century. These changes are inevitably leading to more and more world records being set. However, the likely impact of global warming on plants and ecosystems remains poorly understood. It has recently been realized that historical records of the year-by-year behavior of plants can provide valuable measures of a plant's sensitivity to climate change.
Changes in distributions:
If climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation change in a region beyond the tolerance of a species phenotypic plasticity, then distribution changes of the species may be inevitable. There is already strong evidence that plant species are shifting their ranges in altitude and latitude as a response to changing regional climates.
When compared to the reported past migration rates of plant species, the rapid pace of current change has the potential to not only alter species distributions, but also render many species as unable to follow the climate to which they are adapted.
Changes in life-cycles (Phenology):
The timing of phonological events such as flowering is often related to environmental variables such as temperature. Changing environments are therefore expected to lead to changes in life cycle events, and these have been recorded for many species of plants. These changes have the potential to lead to the asynchrony between species, or to change competition between plants.
Temperature increase:
High temperatures produce heat stress in the plants, they grow less, and they produce less. In some cases, the plants do not produce at all since excessive heat causes sterility of the pollen.
A temperature increase may be beneficial in some areas that are very cold at present and plants cannot be grown during the frozen winters.
Climate change implies extremely quick temperature change, so vegetation and crops will have to adapt to the new conditions in an unusually short time. This may cause additional problems with the vegetation.
Drought (less rainfall):
Water affects directly the growth and production of plants. In most parts of Africa there is not enough water even in normal conditions and during drought no production at all.
Water affects directly the growth and production of plants. In most parts of Africa there is not enough water even in normal conditions and during drought no production at all.
Increased rainfall:
Excessive rainfall results in floods. Floods can damage plants as we saw in the first unit because the roots cannot breathe and they die. Increased rainfall without floods may result beneficial in very dry areas.
Excessive rainfall results in floods. Floods can damage plants as we saw in the first unit because the roots cannot breathe and they die. Increased rainfall without floods may result beneficial in very dry areas.
Carbon dioxide increase:
The increase of CO2 derived from burning fossil fuels has a fertilizing effect on most plants, since CO2 is a component of photosynthesis. The basic equation of the process of photosynthesis is:
6H2O + 6CO2 + hv------------C6H12O6 + 6O2 [hv is energy needed to complete this reaction, this energy is naturally obtained from solar radiation]
Scientists measure plant production in fields or growth chambers with an increase in atmospheric CO2.
One of the main concerns about a change in climate is not only these variations in temperature and distribution of precipitations around the world, which can be either good or bad for different regions, it is the severity that these rains or droughts can reach what is most important and what can have large and devastating impacts.
Future climate will have changes in temperature and rainfall, but also the future environment will have an increased concentration of carbon dioxide. All these changes affect (benefit or detriment) the production of plants that are used for food. The final effect is the combination of changes in temperature, rainfall, and carbon dioxide.
"Climate affects vegetation, vegetation affects fire, and both fire and vegetation respond to climate change"
The increase of CO2 derived from burning fossil fuels has a fertilizing effect on most plants, since CO2 is a component of photosynthesis. The basic equation of the process of photosynthesis is:
6H2O + 6CO2 + hv------------C6H12O6 + 6O2 [hv is energy needed to complete this reaction, this energy is naturally obtained from solar radiation]
Scientists measure plant production in fields or growth chambers with an increase in atmospheric CO2.
One of the main concerns about a change in climate is not only these variations in temperature and distribution of precipitations around the world, which can be either good or bad for different regions, it is the severity that these rains or droughts can reach what is most important and what can have large and devastating impacts.
Future climate will have changes in temperature and rainfall, but also the future environment will have an increased concentration of carbon dioxide. All these changes affect (benefit or detriment) the production of plants that are used for food. The final effect is the combination of changes in temperature, rainfall, and carbon dioxide.
"Climate affects vegetation, vegetation affects fire, and both fire and vegetation respond to climate change"
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