A group of scientists has revealed that there is a mismatch between the shoots and the roots of the plants when they are responding to climate change and this is necessary to understand the consequences of the changing climate in our biodiversity and agriculture (Science daily, 2021). Following climate change, the plant phenology is severely being affected, which in turn is affecting the terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem. Maintaining the ecosystem and the food chain is essential for the survival of plants and as well as humans. Plant phenology refers to the periodic life events of plants. Maintaining the panty phenology is essential for balancing the ecosystem and biodiversity, as it affects agriculture. It has been discovered that climate change is differently affecting the blow ground and above-ground parts of different woody and non-woody plants (Science daily, 2021). “Phonological changes occur differently in shoots and roots of plants. The drifts in plant phenology are beneficial for maintaining the plant fitness and productivity”, explained by Prof. Madhav P.Thakur from the Ecology department of Bern University. This shift is necessary for agriculture.
Figure 1Plant developmental responses to climate change
(Source: Liu, et al., 2021)
It has been discovered that in the woody plants, the belowground parts are more responsive to climate change than to the above-ground parts. On the other hand, in the non-woody plants, such as in herbaceous plants or grass-like plants, the above-ground parts are more responsive to climate change compared to the below-ground parts (Liu, et al., 2021). It is evident that in both kinds of plants, the mismatch in the responsiveness to climate change is different in roots and shoots.
Figure 2Effects of heat stress in plants
(Source: Liu, et al., 2021)
The food chain is directly related to plant phenology, as it is not only important for the plants, but also for the herbs and shrubs which are dependent upon the plants, thus affecting the agricultural system. Hence, if the food chain, along with the agricultural system starts to be affected by climate change, it will have dramatic effects on the survival of the plants and the humans on the planet. The interaction between the roots and shoots are important for maintaining terrestrial biodiversity (Liu, et al., 2021). Any kind of disturbance in the interaction will sure affect the stability of the ecosystem and will hamper the agricultural system. It is being predicted that climate change is going to be more harmful to the ecosystem, through heat waves and drought periods.
References
Liu, H., Wang, H., Li, N., Shao, J., Zhou, X., & Thakur, M. (2021). Phenological mismatches between above-and below-ground plant responses to climate warming: a global synthesis. Retrieved from https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-182603/latest.pdf
Science daily. (2021). Shoots and roots respond differently to climate change. Retrieved from Science news: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211220120617.htm