Abstract

YEPES, Adriana  and  BUCKERIDGE, Marcos Silveira. Plant responses to meteorological events related to climate change: review. Colomb. for. [online]. 2011, vol.14, n.2, pp.213-232. ISSN 0120-0739.

Climate change is composed of a succession of meteorological processes that alter the performance of the natural systems, such as productivity, food sources, biodiversity and human activities. The natural ecosystems are essential for the global equilibrium, because they contain the bulk of the terrestrial carbon. Plants are important carbon reservoirs, because of their ability to take CO₂ through photosynthesis and transform it into organic compounds such as cellulose (carbon sequestration). There is a growing interest to understand the global change process and its relationship with the carbon cycle with plant dynamics. Elevated CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere increases leaf photosynthesis, but it is not known whether this enhancement will be maintained over time. In the present work, we review general aspects of climate change science, and some technologies applied to the study of elevated CO₂ concentrations effects in plants. Also, physiological and metabolic responses associated to global change, such as high temperature and drought will be described. The inter disciplinarity related to the research associated to molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, ecology and climatology, to name but a few, will afford the adoption of a more integrated approach of these events. This is crucial for the establishment of future strategies of governments and private companies to face the effects of the global climate changes.

Keywords : climate change; elevated temperature; elevated CO₂; plants.

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