How do Plants Survive Droughts?
How do plants survive droughts?
Plant Survival in Drought Conditions
Plants have evolved several strategies to survive droughts:
Drought escape: Some plants complete their life cycle before the actual water deficit occurs, by rapidly developing and reproducing before the drought hits. This allows them to escape the drought.
Drought avoidance: Plants can avoid drought by reducing water loss or increasing water uptake. Mechanisms include:
Thick, waxy leaves to reduce evaporation
Smaller leaves with fewer stomata (pores) to limit transpiration
Shedding leaves to reduce water loss
Extensive root systems to absorb more water from the soil
Storing water in thick, fleshy leaves or stems (succulents)
Opening stomata at night to take in CO2 for photosynthesis, while keeping them closed during the day to prevent water loss (CAM photosynthesis)
Drought tolerance: Plants can tolerate low water potentials and desiccation by:
Maintaining high tissue water content through osmotic adjustment
Protecting cellular structures and membranes from damage
Repairing damage once water becomes available again
Integrated rhizosphere management: The plant’s interaction with its root microbiome can enhance drought tolerance. Beneficial bacteria can alter root architecture, produce osmoprotectants, induce systemic tolerance, and regulate stress response genes.
In summary, plants employ a combination of escape, avoidance, and tolerance mechanisms, often in conjunction with their rhizosphere microbiome, to survive and thrive under drought conditions. The specific adaptations depend on the plant species and its evolutionary history.
– Written By Dinusha Fernando
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