Research Article - Journal of Agricultural Science and Botany (2021) Volume 5, Issue 5

Plant species respond to environmental change remaining within the modified climate by tolerance or adaptation and migrating or a combination of both.

Climate is an important determinant factor that controls the geographic distributions of a plant species more than any other factors. Climate is changed when the average long-term weather patterns of a region are altered for an extended period, typically decades or longer. The cause of climate change can be categorized as natural processes and human activities that increased the level of emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide. Plant species respond to environmental change remaining within the modified climate by tolerance or adaptation and migrating or a combination of both. The major response of plant species to climate change is: phenology (time), phenotypic plasticity, gene flow, species range shift (migration). Seed dispersal is essential for allowing plant migration to reach specific habitats that are favorable for survival and determining the migration ability of a specific plant species. The degree of movement of a species to favourable climatic conditions depends on its potential migration rate. The potential migration rate of a species is determined by seed dispersal capacity of the species and the population growth rate of plants in newly established populations, the seed size and competition also determine the potential migration rates of a species.

Author(s): Mesfin Belete Hailemariam

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