Acclimatization

Subject: Environment

Context:

“Periglacial Flora of Western Himalayas Diversity And Climate Change Vulnerability” study by Botanical survey of India found  high altitudes plants are facing the “climb higher or die” situation due to climate change.

Concept:

• Acclimatization is the process in which an individual organism adjusts to a change in its environment (such as a change in altitude, temperature, humidity, photo period, or pH), allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions.
• Acclimatization occurs in a short period of time (hours to weeks), and within the organism’s lifetime (compared to adaptation, which is a development that takes place over many generations).
• This may be a discrete occurrence (for example, when mountaineers acclimate to high altitude over hours or days) or may instead represent part of a periodic cycle, such as a mammal shedding heavy winter fur in favor of a lighter summer coat.
• Organisms can adjust their morphological, behavioral, physical, and/or biochemical traits in response to changes in their environment.