Review: What happens when it gets too hot – the vulnerability of plant reproduction in a warming world

Climate change brings about higher temperatures, threatening plant populations worldwide. Higher temperatures interfere with reproductive processes such as pollen production or fertilization, even if the plant itself can withstand these temperatures. For example, some plants can withstand temperatures up to 60 ^oC, but the average optimal temperature for pollen and seed development is around 26 ^oC. However, current work focused on predicting how populations respond to increased temperatures rarely account for this discrepancy.  In this review, Denney et al. suggest that it’s time to start integrating fertility-related metrics into ecological and evolutionary studies and predictions of how plant populations may behave in future climates. They discuss current understanding of the effects of heat on reproductive development directly and indirectly due to effects on whole-plant physiology. They identify a pressing gap – current studies often focus on the effects of heat on photosynthesis, without considering the more vulnerable aspect of reproductive development. Ultimately, the authors suggest that integrating insights from how heat affects reproduction can complement the ecological and evolutionary work looking at plant adaptation and extinction risk. Further research in this area can help us get a better understanding of how species may adapt to climates and even help us make decisions about conservation of plant populations. (Summary by Anastasia Kolesnikova https://www.linkedin.com/in/n-ksci/) EcoEvoRxiv https://doi.org/10.32942/X20M2K