ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1343: X International Congress on Cactus Pear and Cochineal: Cactus - the New Green Revolution in Drylands
The role of CAM ecophysiology in the Anthropocene |
| Author: | E. De La Barrera |
| Keywords: | arid agriculture, atmospheric pollution, biomonitors, climate change, environmental productivity index (EPI), food security, nitrogen deposition |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2022.1343.35 |
| Abstract:
Human impact on the planet is such that geologists have acknowledged the start of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, which is characterized by an environmental emergency with multiple open fronts such as climate change, biodiversity loss, decreased fresh water availability, alterations to the nitrogen cycle, and chemical pollution. Activities such as food production and the increasing aggregation of people in urban areas are simultaneously major drivers and vulnerable points of such environmental change. For example, climate change represents a major threat to food production, considering that a reduction of annual precipitation, in addition to temperature increases, is likely to occur especially in tropical agricultural regions. The use of CAM crops has been recognized as a useful strategy for climate change adaptation, owing to their tolerance of high temperatures and their inherently high water use efficiency. The potential performance of Opuntia ficus-indica and Agave tequilana is modeled as an application of the environmental productivity index for identifying potential areas for cultivation under climate change. Regarding alterations to the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle, CAM epiphytes can be useful to characterize environmental pollution in tropical environments, especially when electrochemical monitoring networks are lacking. Indeed, CAM epiphytes are particularly promising to characterize the prevalent levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and, especially, nitrogen deposition. This is illustrated with the use of the orchid Laelia speciosa and the bromeliad Tillandsia recurvata as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. From fundamental research on the mechanisms behind plant responses to environmental change to applications in agriculture and biomonitoring, CAM ecophysiology will be essential in the Anthropocene. | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
