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Publication Date

2024-5

First Advisor

Jess Gersony

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Biological Sciences

Keywords

Phloem, turgor, drought, shade, Ricinus communis, plants

Abstract

Climate change driven drought has posed a significant threat to plants throughout the world. With this current climate crisis, it is imperative to understand the mechanisms by which plants respond to drought conditions in order to make predictions about ecosystem functioning. Despite their importance, the physiological mechanisms by which plants adapt to water scarcity are not yet fully understood. While many studies have been done to understand xylem dysfunction, few have looked into the phloem tissue and its role in whole plant functioning during drought conditions, as well as how carbon and water dynamics interact during drought. The phloem is responsible for transporting carbon and sugars throughout the plant, making it a key tissue in plant functioning. Carbon and water interactions can also be observed both in the phloem tissue as well as by observing the plant leaves during the wilting process. This study seeks to understand the mechanisms by which phloem transport and leaf turgor are affected during drought in Ricinus communis, a phloem-bleeding species. To study this, I manipulated carbon stores and performed a drought experiment. I found that phloem transport can continue after stomatal conductance ceases through a doubling of phloem sap concentration. Additionally, limiting access to light can affect the production of carbon in shaded plants, hindering the plant’s ability to maintain phloem and leaf turgor/functioning during drought. This suggests that carbon stores are a key factor in a plant’s ability to maintain functioning during drought, which has cascading implications for thinking about the interactions between whole-plant functioning and climate change.

Rights

©2024 Skarlet Rubi. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Comments

32 pages: color illustrations. Includes bibliographical references (pages 28-32).

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