PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 12: Physiology
Tuesday, August 9, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Acclimation of root respiration to temperature among plants species from broad latitudinal gradients.

Falik, Omer¹, Barto, Neal¹, Adams, Thomas^*,1, Koide, Roger¹, Eissenstat, David¹, ¹ Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

ABSTRACT- The potential for acclimation of root respiration to temperature may represent a missing link in current efforts to predict the effects of global warming on plant communities. Such acclimation could weaken the positive feedback between soil respiration and global warming. In this study, we examined the responses of root respiration to soil temperature for plants that vary widely in latitude of origin and asked the following questions: (1) do plants acclimate to a change in temperature and does acclimation depend on the plants origin? (2) do plants originating from higher latitudes exhibit higher respiration at a particular measurement temperature compared to those from lower latitudes? Phylogenetically independent plant species of 13 families from varying functional groups were collected from Florida, Pennsylvania and Alaska. These plants were cultivated in a common greenhouse. A portion of the root system of each plant was exposed to 12, 22 or 32 oC for one week. Preliminary results show a response of root respiration to temperature, such that at a given measurement temperature respiration decreases with latitude. A better understanding of respiratory response to temperature should help up to better predict the effects of climate warming on plant communities.

Key words: Acclimation, Climate warming, Comparative ecology, Root respiration