Grants and Contracts Details
Description
Abstract
Increasing global temperature threatens plant productivity and ecological stability. Some
plants can survive heat stress and still maintain their performance. Surviving heat stress
varies among and within plant species. While intraspecific variation in heat stress tolerance
exists, it is rarely studied, and such studies can elucidate the underlying molecular
mechanisms that can be used to improve crop thermotolerance and for in-situ and
ex-situ species conservation. A tropical liverwort, Marchantia inflexa will be used here to
examine the intraspecific variation of heat stress tolerance and sex differences in tolerance.
Populations growing in natural and novel habitats in the island Trinidad will be targeted in
this study to test for variation in heat tolerance. Field-collected samples will be cultivated in
common garden conditions, harvested, and tested for heat stress tolerance. Data will be
collected on traits associated with heat stress including photosynthetic traits, chlorophyll
fluorescence, chlorophyll content, and membrane thermostability. Findings of this study
will enhance the existing body of knowledge on variation in heat stress tolerance within a
plant species.
Key words: Marchantia inflexa, Heat stress, Sex differences, Acclimation, Thermotolerance
Status | Active |
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Effective start/end date | 7/1/22 → 6/30/24 |
Funding
- Botanical Society of America: $1,500.00
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