Chapters authored
Phenological Plasticity of Wild and Cultivated Plants
The future survival of wild and cultivated plant species will depend on their ability to adapt to environmental changes caused by climate change. Phenological plasticity describes physiological, developmental, cellular, and epigenetic mechanisms that contribute to genetic diversity and adaptability. Many studies evaluating plasticity using trees, cereals (barley, wheat, and rice), pulses, and weeds have discovered that plasticity mechanisms differ between wild and cultivated plant populations. Major findings indicated by these studies are: (1) invasiveness and adaptability in wild and/or “weedy” plant species may be controlled by specific plasticity genes, (2) adaptability is directly connected to adaptive responses and fitness, and (3) domestication and cultivation have altered plasticity mechanisms. Therefore, selective breeding requires a holistic understanding of plant plasticity. Breeding strategies should consider differences in plasticity mechanisms between wild and cultivated plant populations to reintroduce genetic diversity of plasticity from wild relatives.
Part of the book: Plant Communities and Their Environment