Trees adapt to extreme temperature changes, research shows

A survey investigated like a tree species native to boreal forests can withstand harsh environmental and climatic conditions .

The study was carried out by scientists at the University of Michigan and published earlier this month in the journal Scientific Reports. The objective was andfind solutions that ensure the survival of life in extreme conditions, due to climate change.

Photorespiration

To understand the relevance of the study, it is essential to understand the concept of photorespiration.

The phenomenon It happens when rubisco, an enzyme crucial for photosynthesis, fixes oxygen in the organic molecule in place of carbon dioxide.

Although it consumes energy, unlike photosynthesis which produces it, photorespiration is essential for plant survival.

This process prevents the accumulation of toxic compounds generated by interaction with oxygen, protecting cells against oxidative damage.

Without photorespiration, the plant would not be able to maintain its metabolic processes in balance in adverse environments.

How photorespiration explains the adaptability of plants

With the accelerated rise in global temperatures, scientists have investigated the adaptability of Betula papyrifera (B. papyrifera) and gained valuable insights into plant resilience in adverse environmental contexts.

This tree species is found mainly in the boreal forests of North America, a particularly vulnerable biome but essential for mitigating the impacts of climate change.

With temperatures ranging from 20° C to – 50° C, the region is characterized by frozen soil, known as permafrost, which stores large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane.

However, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (Unece) estimates that the biome will face a temperature rise of between 6° C and 11° C by the year 2100.

With global warming and the consequent melting of permafrost, these greenhouse gases are slowly released into the atmosphere, further intensifying the increase in global temperatures.

Given this scenario, the B. papyrifera attracts special interest, as its adaptive capacity can offer important lessons about the mechanisms of plant resilience.

To carry out the research, scientists analyzed the biochemical behavior of tree seedlings in six extreme scenarios, simulated in an advanced research facility located at the University of Western Ontario, capable of reproducing almost any climate on Earth.

These simulations included variations in temperature and carbon dioxide concentration.

Furthermore, the researchers assessed whether rubisco’s enzymatic activity adjusted to environmental conditions (increased temperature tends to increase the photorespiratory process; the higher the concentration of carbon dioxide, the lower the photorespiration) or whether the plant had a fixed capacity of photorespiration to deal with unpredictable changes.

You results confirmed the second hypothesis: the B. papyrifera the plant’s photorespiratory activity is constant and does not change with variations in temperature or CO₂ concentration (which was expected).

This occurs thanks to the presence of a metabolic reserve, which regulates rubisco activity even in non-standard environmental conditions.

“They are capable of dealing with these different changes, whether under current, moderate or extreme conditions”, he points out. Luke Gregory, one of the researchers responsible for conducting the study.

This finding shows a mechanism intrinsic to the plant that guarantees the efficiency of photosynthesis even in adverse environments.

It also indicates the limits of their resilience in the face of predicted climate changes and offers valuable information about the mechanisms that allow plants to survive in extreme conditions.

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This content was originally published in Trees adapt to extreme temperature changes, according to research on the CNN Brasil website.

Source: CNN Brasil