Our lives depend on plants — we must have plant literacy to understand climate change

Source: The post is based on the article “Our lives depend on plants — we must have plant literacy to understand climate change” published in “The Times of India” on 24th June 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Environment

Relevance: About the issues faced by the plant species.

News: Recent research has shown how the construction of different vascular systems allows plants to live in disparate regions of the world. The study also shows how plants evolved as well as how they will respond to future climatic conditions.

What are some key features of plant architecture?

Vascular system: The vascular system is a series of cells arranged similar to pipes. Plants developed this system 400 million years ago to transport water. 

There is a strong relationship between the amount of water a plant can extract from soil and transport to its leaves and its productivity which translates to growth in agricultural systems.

Stomata: Microscopic valves called stomata regulate the flow of carbon dioxide into leaves for photosynthesis. However, when the stomata open to allow carbon dioxide in, they also expose the inside of the leaves to dry air. As a result, plants lose approximately 400 water molecules for every CO2 molecule they take up, with greater water loss in dry environments.

When water is limited, the plant closes its stomata, cutting off the CO2 it normally takes up from the atmosphere. Plants have been fine-tuning the cells that control water flow in them over millennia.

How anthropogenic conditions are impacting plant species at present?

Plants have evolved over millions of years to cope with all sorts of variability. That includes fluctuations in temperature, humidity, pathogens and pests. 

Plants created a range of adaptations for water stress also. For example, they evolved gravitational sensing mechanisms which allow them to know which way to grow deeper for water and nutrients. 

But due to climate change and associated droughts, the variability changes much more frequently and plants face challenges in adapting to them. 

What should be done to protect the plant species?

As a species, humans are completely dependent on plants for day to day lives. So, to protect them, a) There should be a clear understanding of the physiological tipping points for plant species to create solutions for climate resilience, particularly in farming, and b) The government’s around the world should work on improving plant literacy among the public –to understand what climate change means for Earth’s flora, forests and farming.