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Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

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Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

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The Soil Ecosystem

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Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

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Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water. It depends on the quantity of solute that does not penetrate the membrane. Tonicity delimits the magnitude and direction of osmosis and results in three possible scenarios that alter the volume of a cell: hypertonicity, hypotonicity, and isotonicity. Due to differences in structure and physiology, tonicity of plant cells is different from that of animal cells in some scenarios.

Tonicity in Plants

Tonicity in Plants

Plant cells maintain appropriate osmotic balance in extreme conditions. For instance, plants in dry environments store water in vacuoles, limit the opening of their stoma, and have thick, waxy cuticles to prevent unnecessary water loss. Some species of plants that live in salty environments store salt in their roots. As a result, water osmosis occurs in the root from the surrounding soil.
Tonicity
Tonicity describes the capacity of a cell to lose or gain water depending on the solute...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 5, 2025

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

Published on: December 27, 2017

Soil nutrient availability alters tree carbon allocation dynamics during drought.

Leonie Schönbeck^1,2,3, Mai-He Li¹, Marco M Lehmann¹

¹Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.

Tree Physiology

|October 20, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Fertilization can help trees cope with drought by stimulating root function and carbon allocation to belowground tissues. This nutrient boost mitigates drought stress, supporting tree survival and health.

Keywords:

13C 15N Pinus sylvestris carbon allocation drought isotopes nitrogen allocation

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Last Updated: Dec 5, 2025

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

The Calibration and Use of Capacitance Sensors to Monitor Stem Water Content in Trees

Published on: December 27, 2017

Utilizing Soil Density Fractionation to Separate Distinct Soil Carbon Pools

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Published on: December 16, 2022

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores

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Published on: March 26, 2019

Area of Science:

Forestry
Plant Physiology
Environmental Science

Background:

Drought significantly impacts tree carbon and nutrient allocation, impairing overall function.
Elevated soil nutrient availability may modify tree responses to drought conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if increased soil nutrients stimulate root metabolism and carbon allocation in trees under drought stress.
To test the hypothesis that nutrient availability can mitigate drought impacts on trees.

Main Methods:

Pinus sylvestris saplings were subjected to drought and nutrient (N-P-K) treatments over two years.
A 15N and 13C labeling experiment was conducted during peak drought to track nutrient and carbon uptake and allocation.
Isotope abundance in roots, stems, and needles was analyzed the following year.

Main Results:

Extreme drought inhibited nitrogen uptake and transport, and reduced carbon allocation to belowground tissues.
Fertilization, however, prevented the reduction in carbon allocation to roots under drought.
Nutrient addition improved root metabolism and functioning, even under drought conditions.

Conclusions:

Soil nutrient availability can compensate for drought-induced losses in root functioning.
Fertilization may create a positive feedback loop, enhancing tree resilience to drought stress.
This highlights the importance of soil nutrients in mitigating the adverse effects of drought on trees.