Abstract:
Seasonal growth of plants is an important component of Earth System Models, and longer growing seasons are a potential brake for feedback loops that lead to warming. However, perennial plants in temperate and boreal climates must first survive winter conditions before reestablishing photosynthesizing canopies. Given low temperatures limit survival of plants, are warmer winters improving conditions for plants in the future?
Plants first develop dormancy, which controls growth during unseasonal warm temperatures in winter. Once dormancy is established, buds must also attain cold hardiness to be able to survive low temperatures in the middle of the winter. Both dormancy and cold hardiness must be lost in a coordinated manner in spring for plants to break bud and make use of the growing season. These two winter physiology traits respond to temperature cues which can therefore be disrupted by warming conditions and the resulting non-analogous climates.
In the Plant Resilience Lab, we study the coordination between these two winter physiology traits at many scales, using natural and experimental temperature gradients, how this can drive adaptation to both cold and warm environments, and in species that span forestry, ornamental, and fruit crops.
What is the Joint Oslo Seminar (JOS):
- Atmospheric and climate sciences have a stronghold in Oslo among the four institutions University of Oslo, the Meteorological Institute, CICERO and NILU.
- This joint seminar invites renowned international experts to contribute to an informal series of lectures, meant to create interaction with the Oslo atmospheric and climate science community on recent highlights and analysis in the field.
- Normally seminars will be held on Thursdays (12:15 pm -1pm).