Over 60 species of plants that can survive extreme dehydration found in Western Ghats

Source: The post is based on the article “Over 60 species of plants that can survive extreme dehydration found in Western Ghats”  published in Down to Earth on 19th July 2023.

What is the News?

Researchers have recently discovered 62 Desiccation-tolerate vascular(DT) plant species in India’s Western Ghats.

What are Desiccation-tolerate vascular plant species?

Desiccation-tolerant vascular (DT) plants are those plant species that are able to withstand extreme dehydration.

They can lose up to 95% of their water content and can revive themselves once water is available again. 

This unique ability allows them to survive in harsh, arid environments that would be uninhabitable for most other plants.

These plants are found in both flowering and non-flowering species and in both temperate and tropical climates. 

The global population of these species ranges between 300 and 1,500.

Desiccation-tolerate vascular(DT) plant species in India:

Indian desiccation tolerant plants are primarily found in forest rock outcrops and partially shaded tree trunks. 

Ferricretes (a hard, erosion-resistant layer of sedimentary rock) and basaltic plateaus (plateaus produced by volcanic activity) seemed to be the preferred habitats.

A study has recently found 62 desiccation-tolerant vascular plant species in Western Ghats. Of these, 16 are endemic to India while 12 are exclusive to Western Ghats outcrops.

Among these discovered, nine genera of DT plants are reported as new also in a global perspective. They are identified as Pyrrosia, Aleuritopteris, Corallodiscus, Arundinella, Bhidea, Bothriochloa, Danthonidium, Dimeria and Glyphochloa. 

What is the significance of this discovery?

The discovery of the desiccation-tolerant (DT) vascular plants has potential applications in agriculture. For instance:

– Desiccation-resistant vascular plants can be used particularly in areas where water is scarce. 

– Desiccation-resistant vascular plant genes can be used to develop a high temperature tolerant crop variety to boost climate resilience.