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Title: Potential expansion of plants with crassulacean acid metabolism in the Anthropocene
Abstract An overlooked phenomenon is a potential increase in the distribution and abundance of plants with the highly water-usage-efficient crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). In the present article, we critically analyze recent research to investigate to what extent and why CAM plants may have recently expanded their range and abundance under global change. We discuss the ecophysiological and evolutionary mechanisms linked with CAM succulence and the drivers underlying potential CAM expansion, including drought, warming, and atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment. We further map the biogeographic pattern of CAM expansion and show that some CAM plants (e.g., Cylindropuntia, Opuntia, and Agave) are expanding and encroaching within dryland landscapes worldwide. Our results collectively highlight the recent expansion of CAM plants, a trend that could be sustained under increasing aridity with climate change. We recommend that CAM expansion be evaluated in a data-model integrated framework to better understand and predict the ecological and socioeconomic consequences of CAM expansion during the Anthropocene.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2425290
PAR ID:
10654233
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Oxford University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
BioScience
Volume:
74
Issue:
7
ISSN:
0006-3568
Page Range / eLocation ID:
478 to 487
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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