Capitol News

Climate change presents a significant challenge to plant life, affecting growth and adaptation. Researchers are investigating how plants can acclimate to these changes. Luke Gregory, a former graduate student in the Walker lab, stated, "Human activities are continuing to release an enormous amount of CO2 and it's warming our planet… Plants are just taken along for the journey."

The Michigan State University-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory is studying paper birch trees' response to environmental changes through photorespiration management. This research was published in Scientific Reports.

Berkley Walker, associate professor at MSU's Department of Plant Biology and PRL, explained the significance of photorespiration: “If plant metabolism was a freeway system, photorespiration would be the second-highest trafficked road.” The study aims to determine if this pathway can handle current and future climate conditions.

Paper birch trees were chosen for their presence in boreal forest biomes, areas expected to be heavily impacted by climate change. The study simulated various climate scenarios by altering CO2 levels and temperatures based on projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Gregory noted that the research explored whether plants adjust enzyme capacity according to demand or maintain extra capacity as a buffer against unpredictable changes. He said, “This study explored whether plants fine-tuned their enzyme capacity based on demand or whether they keep a buffer.”

Trees were grown from seed at the University of Western Ontario's Biotron facility under six different conditions. Measurements taken after four months revealed that enzyme capacities remained consistent across all scenarios but exceeded what was necessary for photorespiration.

Gregory remarked on this finding: “It was really interesting to find that there's this safety factor that these plants have.” This suggests trees have mechanisms enabling them to survive despite changing climates concerning photorespiration.

Understanding plant responses is crucial as they provide essential resources like fuel and food. Gregory emphasized its importance: “It’s important that we understand how plants are responding... because we need them in our lives.”

Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, Gregory continues his work using machine learning and remote sensing for forecasting plant performance. His research could inform future plant breeding practices.

Funding for this work came from several sources including the United States Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences and Michigan State University's Plant Resilience Institute.