Speaker
Description
Marcescence, the retention of withered plant organs over winter that would otherwise be shed, remains poorly studied in perennial herbs, despite its potential role in plant phenology and adaptation to climate change, including increasingly extreme conditions at the onset and end of the growing season. Marcescent biomass can protect developing tissues from water, light, or temperature stress, as well as herbivory. Yet, most research on marcescence has focused on trees, leaving marcescence occurrence and function in perennial herbaceous species largely unexplored. Unlike trees, where marcescence typically involves only leaves, perennial herbs may retain leaves, stems, and inflorescences, suggesting that the phenomenon may manifest differently across growth forms and vary in its functional significance.
To fill this gap, our project investigated inter- and intra-specific variation in marcescence among perennial herbaceous species in the northern temperate zone. To achieve this, we conducted surveys at 11 botanical gardens spanning Europe, North America, and Asia. We evaluated 152 plant species for the presence or absence of marcescence. To assess species’ marcescence intensity, for a subset of 108 species, we compared dead biomass in January with peak biomass from the previous growing season.
Using these data, we analyzed inter- and intraspecific patterns of marcescence across the study region and examined how they relate to phylogenetic relationships and key plant functional traits, such as height, specific leaf area, growth strategy, and bud bank position. This is the first study to assess marcescence in herbaceous plants across geographically and climatically contrasting sites, revealing how environmental context shapes variation in biomass retention across the northern temperate zone.
| Status Group | Postdoctoral Researcher |
|---|---|
| FOR TALKS: Poster Presentation Option | Yes, I’m willing to present as a poster. |