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Plants use their epigenetic memories to adapt to climate change
- giantg2 4y agoNot really surprising when you look at the history of the USSR's process of growing citrus, among other historical instances.
- acchow 4y agoCare you elaborate?
- shagie 4y ago> During the first half of the twentieth century, Soviet citrologists grew (sub)tropical plants in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius – outdoors, and without the use of glass or any fossil fuel-powered assistance. https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cultivating-subtropical-plants-in-freezing-temperatures.html https://solar.lowtechmagazine.com/2020/04/fruit-trenches-cul... The most relevant part of that article... > “Progressive cold-hardening” > Imported citrus varieties only survived in a few isolated points along the Black Sea coast, which enjoyed a particularly favourable microclimate. To better prepare citrus fruits for cold, Soviet citrologists followed a method called “progressive cold-hardening”. It allowed them to create new varieties which were adapted to local ecological conditions, a cultivation strategy which had originally been developed for apricot trees and grapes. > The method consists of planting a seed of a highly valued tree a bit further north of its original location, and then waiting for it to give seeds. Those seeds are then planted a bit further north, and with the process repeated further, slowly but steadily pushing the citrus variety towards less hospitable climates. Using this method, apricot trees from Rostov could eventually be grown in Mitchurinsk, 650 km further up north, where they developed apricot seeds that were adapted to the local climate. On the other hand, directly planting the seed of the Rostov apricot tree in Mitchurinsk proved unsuccessful.
- adriand 4y agoWhy doesn’t this process lead to much faster natural spread of plant life into more northern climates? Isn’t the process of “planting” seeds a bit further away exactly how any seed-producing plant spreads? Or is it just that humans are able to accelerate the process?
- mastax 4y agoThe one thing that I can think of is that the natural rate of seed spreading is slow, at least for citrus plants. (Plants like dandelion likely spread much more quickly)
- actionfromafar 4y agoVery much accelerating, for instance by geographical spread. Also a plant might have a hard time "getting started" in a certain place, and not always end up in optimal conditions. The Soviets put plants in arrangements not found in nature.
- mc32 4y agoIt seems to me there is a step missing: plant seeds further north, some plants survive better than others even reproduce, take those survivors and repeat further north. So not the fruit from all trees but from the ones that are better adapted. This could happen naturally but probably more slowly and also would naturally have to compete with local species.
- biggoodwolf 4y agoThis is the epigenetic vs plain genetic part.
- b112 4y agoI read more in this a while back, and they also dug special ditches, did some orher things, to make the environment more friendly.
- syockit 4y agoI'd say being outcompeted by already thriving local flora. When "planting" they must have made sure that the conditions were optimal for survival (soil condition, no competing crops etc.).
- kornhole 4y agoWhen I compare the flying, scurrying, and perennially seeding creatures sharing this coastal land to my partner with a mortgage, doctors, and daily Amazon deliveries, I know who will better adapt to the sea rise that will flood our house.
- nomel 4y ago> better adapt to the sea rise that will flood our house. From a quick search, projected sea level rise is around 2 feet by 2100. If you're two feet from flooding, you're almost certainly experiencing flooding already, due to the occasional bad storm.
- palata 4y agoFeels like an optimistic projection, though.
- elmomle 4y agoIt is--it's following the current trend, whereas NOAA's intermediate projection is around 3'4". (https://www.climate.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_620_original_image/public/2022-02/sea_level_rise_2022_scenarioupdate_1200_0.png https://www.climate.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_widt...)
- boosteri 4y agoBut occasional flooding is not the same as constantly flooded. Also, 2ft rise means occasional flooding expanding inland and flood-safe zones shrinking.
- nomel 4y agoNo offense, but I'm having trouble believing you've experienced coastal life. 2ft will absolutely not be the difference between constant flooding and occasional flooding. Low to high tide is over 4ft.
- devindotcom 4y agoThere's an experiment going to the ISS on Monday seeing if they have any epigenetic, cross-generational adaptations to microgravity. I fully expect orbital varieties of various fruits and veggies soon!
- DoreenMichele 4y ago"This is especially important when we consider the rapid climate change we observe today that every living organism, including plants, needs to quickly adapt to in order to survive." True in part because humans can't get their act together to do things known and proven to work, such as planting more trees in urban environments to mitigate heat island effect.
- bigbacaloa 4y agoPlants don't "use" anything. It happens but there is no agency. Hard to read an article whose title has such unscientific language.
- qikInNdOutReply 4y agoI wonder wether there are some jurassic hidden champions, waiting to flip the high carbon dioxid, wet bulb rainforrest switch an outgrow the "newcomers".
- qikInNdOutReply 4y agoSame goes for alligators and komodo warans. What if the temperature was the only thing holding them back from growing?