Tropical plants may adapt more easily to climate change than thought

As rainfall patterns change due to global warming, tropical plants may acclimate more easily than commonly thought, new research shows. The findings are highly important for countries in the South who are set to become biofuel producers, relying on tropical energy crops, and for the livelihoods of millions of smallholders in the developing world who make a living from agro-forestry.

Most land plants outside the tropics appear to have evolved to rely on just one of three common sources of nitrogen: nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), or dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). As a result of this limitation, they usually inhabit “niches” defined largely by the available nitrogen source. When that source crashes for any reason – often because of shifts in climate – the plants cannot adapt, with potentially disastrous consequences for natural ecosystems.

However, tropical species appear to be far more adaptable than their temperate kin when it comes to their nitrogen needs, the researchers found. When confronted with shifts in nitrogen availability, these plants simply “flip a switch” and use whatever is handy.

Biopact