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Global change aggravates drought, with consequences for plant reproduction
Johanne Brunet1,2, David W Inouye3,4, Erin E Wilson Rankin5
1Brunet Research, Madison, WI 53593, USA.
Annals of Botany
|December 18, 2024
Summary
Drought impacts flowering plants by altering visual and olfactory traits, affecting pollinator interactions and reproduction. While plants show plasticity, the overall reproductive success varies, highlighting the need to understand drought resilience in angiosperms.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Plant Biology
- Climate Change Science
Background:
- Increasing drought frequency and intensity due to climate change and water diversion threaten wild plant populations.
- Changes in soil moisture extremes impact plant reproduction, particularly in animal-pollinated angiosperms reliant on pollinators for seed production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the consequences of drought on various aspects of reproduction in animal-pollinated angiosperms.
- To emphasize the interactions among drought, flowering, and pollination.
- To identify knowledge gaps and areas for future research.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on drought impacts on plant reproduction.
- Analysis of how drought influences floral traits (visual, olfactory), pollinator attraction, and flowering phenology.
- Examination of effects on plant-pollinator networks and reproductive success.
Main Results:
- Drought affects visual and olfactory floral traits, with phenotypic responses varying by plant sex and species.
- Plants exhibit phenotypic plasticity to drought, enabling rapid adaptation.
- The impact of drought on pollinator attraction, pollen deposition, and reproductive success lacks a clear pattern, and can sometimes be positive.
Conclusions:
- Drought alters plant-pollinator networks and flowering phenology.
- Plant reproductive success under drought is not uniformly negative; understanding plant characteristics associated with positive responses is crucial.
- Phenotypic plasticity in floral traits offers a mechanism for adaptation to changing drought conditions.
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