PLANT RESPONSE TO

DROUGHT

-Sindhuja
 Presentation Outline
• Introduction
• Discussion
• Desiccation
• Stomata location & function
• Adaptations in Xerophytes
• Leads to abscission
• Acclimatization
• Conclusion
• References
 INTRODUCTION

• Plants do photosynthesis
• need – Water, Carbon-dioxide and sunlight
• Water – is one of the 3 main factors

• Water evaporated = water absorbed

• If not – there will be lack of water
• Leads to drought
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

• For any plant to undergo growth and

development , the basic step involved is
– cell enlargement and
– cell division.

• For this cell enlargement and cell division, the

basic step involved is
– turgor pressure
– caused due to water
 INTRODUCTION
• What is drought?
• no sufficient water in the soil
• for the crop to grow
• Extended usually for several months

• How do plants overcome drought

• Adaptation
• Acclimatization
DISCUSSION
 DESICCATION
• Homo-chlorophylous desiccation tolerant
• PA - elastic
• Poikilo-chlorophylous desiccation tolerant
•PA - degraded
STOMATA
 LOCATION OF STOMATA
• Adaxial surface – upper epidermal layer
• few number of stomata

• Abaxial surface – lower epidermal layer

• many number of stomata
LOCATION OF STOMATA
 ADAPTATION IN
XEROPHYTES
What are Xerophytes?

Plants which are able to survive in an

environment with little available water or
moisture, usually in environments where
potential evapotranspiration exceeds
precipitation for all or part of the growing
season.
 XEROPHYTES
• Thick leathery cuticle

• Reduced size of leaves

 XEROPHYTES
• Leaves modified into spines

• Water storage in stem

CHANGES IN GENE EXPRESSION

• A stress response is initiated when plants

recognize stress at the cellular level

• Stress recognition activates signal

transduction pathways that transmit
information within the individual cell
and throughout the plant.
Water deficit stimulates leaf
abscission
 ACCLIMATIZATION
What is acclimatization?

A process in which a plant undergoes

changes to suit to the environment for a
period of time usually often involving
temperature, moisture, food, often
relating to seasonal climate changes
 ACCLIMATIZATION
• Paraheliotropic

• Diaheliotropic
 CONCLUSION
Plants adapt to various mechanisms….
in order to get rid of the stress caused.

It is really appreciatable to see these

plants
seem to have sense to sense the lack of
water and compensate them by
adaptations.
 MAIN REFERENCES
•Bewley, D.A. , 1979. Physiological aspects
of desiccation tolerance. Annu. Rev. Plant
Physiol.
•Gounaris, K., Brain, A. P. R., Quinn, P.
J.,W. P. Williams, 1984. Structural
reorganization of chloroplast thylakoid
membranes in responseto heat stress
•Marschner H (1995) 'Mineral nutrition of
higher plants.' (Academic Press: London.)
 THANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTION

ANY QUESTIONS