Plant adjustment to extreme conditions

Plant adjustment to extreme conditions

plants are surprisingly adaptable and a variety of species has developed strategies to survive even under the toughest conditions. This incredible ability to adapt to extreme conditions is the result of millions of years of natural selection and evolution. This article illuminates the various mechanisms through which plants adapt to extreme conditions and can survive and thrive.

plant adjustment of drought

With a view to climate change and the increasing drought in many parts of the world, adapting plants to a lack of water is a particularly relevant field.

morphological adjustments and physiological reactions

Many plants that occur in deserts and semi -deserts have developed morphological and physiological adjustments to deal with the lack of water. The morphological adjustments include small or even absent leaves, thick culprit (the outer wax -like plant cover), enlarged root systems and the presence of thorns instead of leaves. With these adjustments, plants can minimize water evaporation and at the same time maximize water absorption.

plant adjustment to cold

Not only deserts present plants with challenges. Also areas with very cold temperatures, such as the tundra and alpine regions, also require special adaptation strategies.

cold plants

Survival in these icy conditions often requires a process that is known as cold hardening. Here, the plants increase their frost tolerance through exposure to decreasing temperatures. Cold plants can adapt to extreme cold through internal changes, such as the accumulation of sugar and proteins that prevent freezing. Some plants can even survive in a state of deep cold stars, in which all signs of life come almost to a standstill.

morphological adjustments

In addition to internal changes, cold conditions also require morphological adjustments. Plants in arctic or alpine regions are often small to be able to withstand the wind and minimize their leaf surface to reduce the rate of heat loss. Many also have dense hair or a thick teat to further reduce heat loss.

plant adjustment to high salt concentrations

High salt concentrations are another challenge for plants that live in coastal areas or in salty soils. Some plants that are known as halophytes have developed mechanisms to deal with this problem.

physiological adjustments

Halophytes adapt their physiology to counteract the negative pressure of high salt concentrations on their cells. They do this by storing high concentrations of salt in special cells or fabrics, which are then either thrown off (as with salt glands) or in their toxicity by chemical modification.

morphological adjustments

Some plants have also developed morphological adjustments to prevent salt water from transporting in their cells. These include the presence of dense hair or dandruff on the plant surface and thick cutticula.

plant adaptation to high light intensity

Plants in regions with high sunlight, such as alpine areas or deserts, have to face the problem of high light intensity.

protection against light damage

Some plants, such as the derivation plants in alpine areas, have developed thicker leaves to avoid excessive photosynthesis and reduce the risk of light damage. Other plants such as succulents in desert areas, on the other hand, have thin leaves to reduce the transpiration (water emissions through the leaves). Plants can also produce pigments as protection against excessive sunlight.

conclusion

Whether it is about drought, cold, salt or light, plants are amazing and always find ways to be successful in the extreme environments in which they live. Their ability to adapt to such challenging conditions harbors many lessons for us, especially with regard to climate change and its effects on agriculture. It is therefore important to further examine and understand the adaptation mechanisms of plants in order to develop sustainable solutions for the future.