| Abstract Detail
Time to dig: the importance of underground storage organs in plant evolution Klimesova, Jitka [1]. Belowground plant organs and why we should not keep ignoring them. Plants are sessile organisms with their parts located in two spaces: aboveground and belowground. The aboveground space for a plant is crucial as it photosynthesizes there, competes for light, flowers and then disperses its seeds. Belowground, a plant searches and obtains water and nutrients. At the same time, belowground is a safe place where the majority of disturbance agents (e.g. fire, grazing) cannot penetrate, and a plant can therefore store photosynthates and a bud bank. The belowground plant organs (e.g. roots, rhizomes) are less studied than aboveground organs (e.g. leaves, stems) in ecology, evolution and development. Here, I provide a conceptual framework designed to study the “hidden half” of plants occurring belowground. Specifically, I discuss the importance of the less known belowground organs, traits, functions and finally questions that we may answer about plant evolution, ecology and development by implementing the proposed framework. Log in to add this item to your schedule
Related Links: Clonal Plants Working Group CLO-PLA - a database of clonal growth in plants
1 - Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Functional Ecology, Dukelska 135, Trebon, 37901, Czech Republic
Keywords: belowground traits storage organs clonal growth organs bud bearing organs plant architecture roots rhizomes bulbs tubers.
Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations Session: CO07, Time to Dig: the importance of underground organs in plant evolution. Location: Tucson J/Starr Pass Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019 Time: 8:30 AM Number: CO07001 Abstract ID:342 Candidate for Awards:None |