Plants’ Ability to Adapt to Climate Change
- January 15, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
No Comments
Plants’ Ability to Adapt to Climate Change
Subject – Environment
Context – Animal biodiversity loss limits plants’ ability to adapt to climate change globally: Experts
Concept –
- Plants worldwide have a 60 per cent lower chance of adapting to climate change due to the declining numbers of birds and mammals, according to a new study.
- Plants and seed dispersers such as birds and mammals share a mutually beneficial relationship. The former provides food and in return, the latter distributes seeds miles away.
- More than half of the plant species depend on animals and plants for seed-dispersing.
- A key way that plants can adapt to climate change is through ‘migration’ — the movement of the species to areas that become suitable for growth under an altered climate.
- While adult plants that are rooted down can’t migrate, their seeds can.
- More than half of the plant species depend on animals and plants for seed-dispersing.
- But the number of mammals, birds, fish, plants and insects has dropped to an average of 68 per cent from 1970 to 2016, the Living Planet Report 2020 revealed.
- With declining animal biodiversity, fewer seeds will reach new grounds. Consequently, plants might lose their ability to migrate to a newer and more suitable environment.