File photo of Dactylorhiza fachsii, an example of a common spotted orchid. A new study suggests that plants can adapt to changing climatic conditions more efficiently than previously thought, making the onset of climate change less of a concern for plant species around the world. Jodrell Laboratory in the London Botanical Gardens has discovered that plants can alter specific components of their genetic make-up to suit rising temperatures and varying levels of rainfall that would otherwise take hundred of years to develop through natural selection , via a process known as epigenetics . The study focused on three species of common spotted orchid that grow in varying environments. These plants had nearly identical genetic heritage, but thrived under very different conditions. Mark Chase of Jodrell Laboratory claims that "[their] results are particularly relevant in the present context of widespread environmental challenges and give us more hope in the adaptive potential of organisms [...] it is not instantaneous, but it is much faster than we thought previously".
File photo of Dactylorhiza fachsii, an example of a common spotted orchid. A new study suggests that can adapt to changing climatic conditions more efficiently than previously thought, making the onset of less of a concern for plant species around the world. Jodrell Laboratory in the London Botanical Gardens has discovered that plants can alter specific components of their genetic make-up to suit rising temperatures and varying levels of rainfall that would otherwise take hundred of years to develop through , via a process known as . The study focused on three species of that grow in varying environments. These plants had nearly identical genetic heritage, but thrived under very different conditions. Mark Chase of Jodrell Laboratory claims that "[their] results are particularly relevant in the present context of widespread environmental challenges and give us more hope in the adaptive potential of organisms [...] it is not instantaneous, but it is much faster than we thought previously".
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plants
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climate change
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natural selection
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epigenetics
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common spotted orchid