Plants and water in a changing world: a physiological and ecological perspective

Abstract

The reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission by replacing fossil energy stocks with carbon–neutral fuels is a major topic of the political and scientific debate on environmental sustainability. Such shift in energy sources is expected to curtail the accumulation rate of atmospheric CO2, which is a strong infrared absorber and thus contributes to the global warming effect. Although such change would produce desirable outputs, the consequences of a drastic decrease in atmospheric CO2 (the substrate of photosynthesis) should be carefully considered in the light of its potential impact on ecosystems stability and agricultural productivity. Indeed, plants regulate CO2 uptake and water loss through the same anatomical structure: the leaf stomata. A reduced CO2 availability is thus expected to enhance transpiration rate in plants decreasing their water use efficiency and imposing an increased water demand for both agricultural and wild ecosystems. We suggest that this largely underestimated issue should be duly considered when implementing policies that aim at the mitigation of global environmental changes and, at the same time, promote sustainable agricultural practices, include the preservation of biodiversity. Also, we underlie the important role(s) that modern biotechnology could play to tackle these global challenges by introducing new traits aimed at creating crop varieties with enhanced CO2 capture and water- and light-use efficiency.

Serious underestimation of reduced carbon uptake due to vegetation compound droughts

“…On the other hand, a quantile-based definition may also underestimate the frequency of occurrence of CDs and their adverse impacts on terrestrial carbon uptake in drylands. Although plants in drylands can maintain photosynthesis with limited water supply through their morphology and physiology [21][22][23] , ecosystem productivity is predominantly controlled by water availability 24,25 . Frequent and severe droughts directly reduce carbon uptake in drylands, and dryland ecosystems contribute a large proportion to the interannual variability of global terrestrial carbon sink 26,27 .…”

“…npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2024)23 Published in partnership with CECCR at King Abdulaziz University…”

Effects of LED Red and Blue Light Component on Growth and Photosynthetic Characteristics of Coriander in Plant Factory

“…Li et al [30], Klein et al [31], and Naznin et al [32] also found that plants exposed to mixed R and B light exhibit high levels of Chlorophyll a (Chl a), Chlorophyll b (Chl b), total chlorophyll (Chl), and ETR, as well as the early development of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), which enhances photosynthetic efficiency. Caferri et al [33] found that the photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of basil are higher under mixed light (R:B (75:25), R:G:B (60:20:20), and R:G:B (31:42:27)) than under monochromatic R light. Zhang et al [34] found that an R:B ratio of 7:3 increased the growth of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge as well as the content of rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B compared with monochromatic R and B light.…”