Acclimation of thermal tolerance in juvenile plants from three biomes is suppressed when extremes co-occur

Harris, RJ; Alvarez, PR; Bryant, C; Briceno, VF; Cook, AM; Leigh, A; Nicotra, AB

Acclimation of thermal tolerance in juvenile plants from three biomes is suppressed when extremes co-occur

Harris, RJ Alvarez, PR Bryant, C Briceno, VF Cook, AM Leigh, A

Nicotra, AB

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Publisher:: OXFORD UNIV PRESS
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY, 2024, 12, (1)
Issue Date:: 2024-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Harris, RJ
dc.contributor.author	Alvarez, PR
dc.contributor.author	Bryant, C
dc.contributor.author	Briceno, VF
dc.contributor.author	Cook, AM
dc.contributor.author	Leigh, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3568-2606
dc.contributor.author	Nicotra, AB
dc.contributor.editor	Tomlinson, S
dc.date.accessioned	2024-06-12T10:32:38Z
dc.date.available	2024-06-12T10:32:38Z
dc.date.issued	2024-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY, 2024, 12, (1)
dc.identifier.issn	2051-1434
dc.identifier.issn	2051-1434
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179492
dc.description.abstract	<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Given the rising frequency of thermal extremes (heatwaves and cold snaps) due to climate change, comprehending how a plant’s origin affects its thermal tolerance breadth (TTB) becomes vital. We studied juvenile plants from three biomes: temperate coastal rainforest, desert and alpine. In controlled settings, plants underwent hot days and cold nights in a factorial design to examine thermal tolerance acclimation. We assessed thermal thresholds (Tcrit-hot and Tcrit-cold) and TTB. We hypothesized that (i) desert species would show the highest heat tolerance, alpine species the greatest cold tolerance and temperate species intermediate tolerance; (ii) all species would increase heat tolerance after hot days and cold tolerance after cold nights; (iii) combined exposure would broaden TTB more than individual conditions, especially in desert and alpine species. We found that biome responses were minor compared to the responses to the extreme temperature treatments. All plants increased thermal tolerance in response to hot 40°C days (Tcrit-hot increased by ~3.5°C), but there was minimal change in Tcrit-cold in response to the cold −2°C nights. In contrast, when exposed to both hot days and cold nights, on average, plants exhibited an antagonistic response in TTB, where cold tolerance decreased and heat tolerance was reduced, and so we did not see the bi-directional expansion we hypothesized. There was, however, considerable variation among species in these responses. As climate change intensifies, plant communities, especially in transitional seasons, will regularly face such temperature swings. Our results shed light on potential plant responses under these extremes, emphasizing the need for deeper species-specific thermal acclimation insights, ultimately guiding conservation efforts.</jats:p>
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	OXFORD UNIV PRESS
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/LP180100942
dc.relation.ispartof	CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1093/conphys/coae027
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.title	Acclimation of thermal tolerance in juvenile plants from three biomes is suppressed when extremes co-occur
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	12
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/DVC (Education and Students)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2024-06-12T10:32:36Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	12
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Abstract Given the rising frequency of thermal extremes (heatwaves and cold snaps) due to climate change, comprehending how a plant’s origin affects its thermal tolerance breadth (TTB) becomes vital. We studied juvenile plants from three biomes: temperate coastal rainforest, desert and alpine. In controlled settings, plants underwent hot days and cold nights in a factorial design to examine thermal tolerance acclimation. We assessed thermal thresholds (Tcrit-hot and Tcrit-cold) and TTB. We hypothesized that (i) desert species would show the highest heat tolerance, alpine species the greatest cold tolerance and temperate species intermediate tolerance; (ii) all species would increase heat tolerance after hot days and cold tolerance after cold nights; (iii) combined exposure would broaden TTB more than individual conditions, especially in desert and alpine species. We found that biome responses were minor compared to the responses to the extreme temperature treatments. All plants increased thermal tolerance in response to hot 40°C days (Tcrit-hot increased by ~3.5°C), but there was minimal change in Tcrit-cold in response to the cold −2°C nights. In contrast, when exposed to both hot days and cold nights, on average, plants exhibited an antagonistic response in TTB, where cold tolerance decreased and heat tolerance was reduced, and so we did not see the bi-directional expansion we hypothesized. There was, however, considerable variation among species in these responses. As climate change intensifies, plant communities, especially in transitional seasons, will regularly face such temperature swings. Our results shed light on potential plant responses under these extremes, emphasizing the need for deeper species-specific thermal acclimation insights, ultimately guiding conservation efforts.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/179492