Dryland Plant Ecology - Session 2

Convener: Tamir Klein, Weizmann Institute of Science

Plants are sessile organisms, and as such, must cope with the changing climate in order to survive. That said, the ongoing changes are faster than any time before, challenging plant capacity to adapt. Plants growing in extreme environments are hence of great interest when looking for unique adaptations. The desert is a major extreme environment, which is home to a surprisingly large array of plant species. These species endure desiccation, high light, and high temperature, the latter being of highest interest to global climate change. In this session we invite contributions on desert plant adaptation mechanisms, their significance and utility, in all aspects of plant sciences, from molecular pathways to community ecology.