You can't grow cool-climate plants in hot climates
4 days ago
- #climate-adaptation
- #photosynthesis
- #plant-science
- Cool-climate plants struggle in hot climates due to high nighttime temperatures caused by humidity, leading to increased respiration and eventual death.
- Compensation Point is the balance where photosynthesis equals respiration; plants must exceed this to grow and survive.
- Warm nights accelerate plant metabolism, burning stored carbohydrates and reducing net carbon gain, especially in cool-season plants.
- Tomatoes' wild ancestors evolved in high, dry elevations, explaining their need for intense sunlight and cooler temperatures.
- Insufficient light can also prevent plants from exceeding their compensation point, hindering growth and reproduction.
- Tropical and warm-climate plants struggle in cooler temperatures, as their metabolism slows, affecting growth and defense mechanisms.
- Different photosynthetic processes (CAM, C3, C4) evolved to cope with environmental extremes, influencing plant efficiency in various climates.
- Rubisco, a key photosynthetic enzyme, can bond with oxygen at high temperatures, producing toxic byproducts instead of sugars.
- Plant growth in a climate depends on light, CO₂, temperature, and evolutionary adaptation over millions of years.