Abstract
We all get stressed. To deal with that stress, some of us may exercise, take a bubble bath, cry, or simply leave the stressful situation. But how can you cope with stress if you are rooted in place? Plants that live in estuaries are exposed to many types of stresses from the environment, including flooding, high salt levels, low soil oxygen, and waves. Fortunately, wetland plants have developed ways to survive within these conditions, from excreting salt, to growing faster, to even breaking down cell walls to maximize air flow. Plants can tolerate different levels of stress depending on their age and species. Knowing how plants react to stress is important for our understanding of nature and for managing important environments, like wetlands! This article explores how plant species in the San Francisco Estuary react to stress and how we can use knowledge about plant stress responses to protect wetlands.
Highlights
When you think about the San Francisco Estuary, or any wetland for that matter, what comes to mind? Perhaps a serene landscape with kids.frontiersin.org
Plants may have limited access to the sunlight needed for growth, and their soils may have less oxygen needed for the roots. This makes survival, photosynthesis, and growth di cult, so wetland plants have evolved adaptations to cope with living in flooded places [ ] (Figure )
One way that wetland plants may overcome flooding and low-oxygen conditions is by forming aerenchyma in their stems and root tissues
Summary
Plants that live in estuaries are exposed to many types of stresses from the environment, including flooding, high salt levels, low soil oxygen, and waves. Plants can tolerate di erent levels of stress depending on their age and species. This article explores how plant species in the San Francisco Estuary react to stress and how we can use knowledge about plant stress responses to protect wetlands. When you think about the San Francisco Estuary, or any wetland for that matter, what comes to mind? Wetland plants use several adaptations to respond to flooding stress, including air pockets called aerenchyma, special roots above the soil called adventitious roots, and structures that release oxygen into the soil around the roots (Image credit: IAN Image Library, )
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