PRIN 2022 – PHOTOPLANT

Response of arctic and alpine ecosystems to photoperiod-climate interaction in the context of climate change

Description

The PHOTOPLANT project aims to explore an ecological factor often overlooked in climate change studies: photoperiod, or the length of day versus night. While the growing season in Alpine regions is characterized by a maximum of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness, Arctic populations experience 24 hours of light during the summer. This constant factor plays a key role in regulating many biological processes in plants, yet its interaction with global warming is still poorly understood.

This scenario raises a fundamental question: how do photoperiod and climate interact to determine plant responses to climate change?

PHOTOPLANT will enable us to understand how Arctic-alpine plants adapt to climate change, providing practical tools to protect the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

Manager

Thomas Abeli

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Participants

Thomas Abeli

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences