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Plants
Special Issues
Plant Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Climate Change
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Plant Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Climate Change

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 288

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cátia Brito

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Guest Editor
Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 12540 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; agronomic practices; kaolin; salicylic acid; climate change adaptation; abiotic stresses; plant biochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lia-Tania Dinis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: plant physiology; fruit quality; mitigation strategies against (a)biotic stress; antioxidant orchestra; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The escalating impacts of global climate change, encompassing rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, elevated CO2 concentrations, and extreme weather events, are severely challenging plant life and ecosystem stability. Compounding these direct pressures are critical indirect impacts, including soil degradation, salinization, nutrient imbalances, and altered light regimes (photosynthetically active radiation and ultraviolet radiation). Understanding how plants are re-engineering themselves to thrive under such complex and interacting pressures is more urgent than ever.

This Special Issue aims to comprehensively explore the intricate physiological and biochemical adaptations plants employ to cope with these multifaceted environmental stressors. We invite original research and review articles that push the boundaries of current knowledge, delving into key topics such as stress signaling pathways, metabolic adjustments, photosynthetic efficiency, water-use strategies, hormonal regulation, nutrient acquisition and homeostasis, antioxidant systems, and molecular adaptations.

We especially welcome contributions that integrate physiological, biochemical, and molecular approaches to elucidate plant responses at the cellular, organ, and whole-plant levels. By fostering interdisciplinary discussions and highlighting innovative strategies, this Special Issue seeks to improve plant resilience in the face of ongoing climate challenges, crucial for advancing agricultural sustainability and preserving biodiversity.

Dr. Cátia Brito
Dr. Lia-Tania Dinis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant adaptation
  • climate change
  • abiotic stresses
  • stress tolerance
  • ecosystem resilience
  • plant stress physiology
  • biochemical mechanisms
  • molecular adaptations
  • stress signaling

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1260 KB  
Article
Balancing Osmotic Protection and Oxidative Stress: Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) Plants to Water Stress
by Diana Ribeiro, Maria Rita Guzmán, Ana D. Caperta and Isabel Marques
Plants 2025, 14(24), 3809; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14243809 - 14 Dec 2025
Viewed by 95
Abstract
Water deficit is a widespread environmental constraint that disrupts plant metabolism, impairs growth, and compromises ornamental value. In this study, we examined the integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of Calendula officinalis L. to moderate (MWS; 60% field capacity) and severe (SWS; 35% field [...] Read more.
Water deficit is a widespread environmental constraint that disrupts plant metabolism, impairs growth, and compromises ornamental value. In this study, we examined the integrated morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of Calendula officinalis L. to moderate (MWS; 60% field capacity) and severe (SWS; 35% field capacity) drought, compared with well-watered plants, over a three-week period under controlled conditions. Drought stress triggered pronounced reductions in vegetative growth: leaf number decreased by 33.1% under MWS and 51.0% under SWS, and leaf length declined by 34.7% and 42.7%, respectively. Fresh and dry biomass decreased significantly, especially under SWS where it was accompanied by a decrease in leaf water loss capacity. Non-enzymatic antioxidant responses included a decline in carotenoid content and strong osmolyte accumulation, with proline increasing under SWS. Indicators of oxidative damage, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) also rose, but only under SWS. In parallel, the enzymatic antioxidant system (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) was significantly activated under drought. Our results demonstrate that C. officinalis uses a dual drought response, combining osmotic adjustment with an upregulation of antioxidant defenses to limit oxidative stress. However, under prolonged severe drought, these mechanisms are insufficient to prevent biomass loss, underscoring its vulnerability in water-limited environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations to Climate Change)
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