Australian Herbal Insight
Advances in Herbal Research | online ISSN 2209-1890
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. Journals
  4. Plant Sciences
REVIEWS   (Open Access)
Contents Vol 3 (1)

Unique Plant Adaptations to Varied Environments: A Comprehensive Review of Evolutionary Mechanisms Shaping Plant Survival Across Diverse Habitats

Renato Teles Neves 1*, Francilina Araujo Costa 2

+ Author Affiliations

Australian Herbal Insight 3 (1) 1-5 https://doi.org/10.25163/ahi.319927

Submitted: 04 October 2020 Revised: 14 December 2020  Published: 15 December 2020 

Abstract

Background: Plants exhibit remarkable diversity in form and function, evolved through unique adaptations to various environments. These adaptations range from physiological changes to morphological traits, enabling survival in extreme conditions. Understanding these adaptations offers insights into evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on peer-reviewed articles, books, and scientific reports exploring plant adaptations across ecosystems. Studies on desert plants, aquatic plants, alpine vegetation, and plants in nutrient-poor soils were analyzed to highlight the diversity of adaptive strategies. Results: The review reveals that plants have developed a wide array of adaptations, including water conservation mechanisms in deserts, salt tolerance in coastal regions, cold resistance in alpine environments, and nutrient acquisition strategies in nutrient-poor soils. Structural modifications like specialized root systems, altered leaf morphology, and symbiotic relationships with microorganisms were identified as key adaptations. Conclusions: Plant adaptations to diverse environments underscore the complexity and plasticity of plant evolutionary responses. These adaptations not only ensure plant survival and reproduction but also contribute to ecosystem stability and biodiversity. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for predicting plant responses to climate change and for formulating conservation strategies.

Keywords: Plant Adaptations, Evolutionary Biology, Desert Plants, Aquatic Plants, Alpine Vegetation, Environmental Stress, Plant Morphology, Ecosystem Stability

References

Aerts, R. (1996). Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of perennials: Are there general patterns? Journal of Ecology, 84(4), 597-608.

Aerts, R., & Chapin III, F. S. (2000). The mineral nutrition of wild plants revisited: A re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research, 30, 1-67.

Benzing, D. H. (2000). Bromeliaceae: Profile of an Adaptive Radiation. Cambridge University Press.

Billings, W. D., & Mooney, H. A. (1968). The ecology of arctic and alpine plants. Biological Reviews, 43(4), 481-529.

Bond, W. J., & Keeley, J. E. (2005). Fire as a global 'herbivore': The ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 20(7), 387-394.

Bowes, G., & Salvucci, M. E. (1989). Plasticity in the photosynthetic carbon metabolism of submersed aquatic macrophytes. Aquatic Botany, 34(1-3), 233-266.

Clarke, P. J., et al. (2013). Resprouting as a key functional trait: How buds, protection and resources drive persistence after fire. New Phytologist, 197(1), 19-35.

Ellison, A. M., & Gotelli, N. J. (2001). Evolutionary ecology of carnivorous plants. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16(11), 623-629.

Flowers, T. J., & Colmer, T. D. (2008). Salinity tolerance in halophytes. New Phytologist, 179(4), 945-963.

Flowers, T. J., & Yeo, A. R. (1995). Breeding for salinity resistance in crop plants: Where next? Australian Journal of Plant Physiology, 22(6), 875-884.

Gibson, A. C., & Nobel, P. S. (1986). The Cactus Primer. Harvard University Press.

Givnish, T. J. (1988). Adaptation to sun and shade: A whole-plant perspective. Functional Plant Biology, 15(1), 63-92.

Givnish, T. J., et al. (1984). Carnivory in the Bromeliaceae: Cost/benefit models and their tests. American Naturalist, 124(4), 479-497.

Keeley, J. E., & Fotheringham, C. J. (2000). Role of fire in regeneration from seed. In Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. CABI Publishing.

Körner, C. (2003). Alpine Plant Life: Functional Plant Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems. Springer-Verlag.

Kullman, L. (2002). Rapid recent range-margin rise of tree and shrub species in the Swedish Scandes. Journal of Ecology, 90(1), 68-77.

Lüttge, U. (2004). Ecophysiology of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). Annals of Botany, 93(6), 629-652.

Maberly, S. C., & Madsen, T. V. (2002). Alkalinity and the habitat of freshwater plants. Freshwater Biology, 47(5), 807-812.

Munns, R., & Tester, M. (2008). Mechanisms of salinity tolerance. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 59, 651-681.

Nicotra, A. B., et al. (2010). Plant phenotypic plasticity in a changing climate. Trends in Plant Science, 15(12), 684-692.

Nobel, P. S. (1991). Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology. Academic Press.

Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E. (2009). A burning story: The role of fire in the history of life. BioScience, 59(7), 593-601.

PDF
Abstract
Export Citation

View Dimensions


View Plumx


View Altmetric




Save
0
Citation
142
View

Share