Resilience - Breathe.

Plants produce the oxygen that humans (and other aerobic organisms) need to breathe.

Plants must also exchange gases to survive.

Plant Science Concept:

Just as we breathe oxygen, plants also require oxygen to thrive. Through the process of photosynthesis, plants not only generate oxygen which is released into the atmosphere but they also produce sugar used to create all the building blocks needed for the plant to grow. Some of the sugar produced is broken down in a process called respiration. This sugar processing step is responsible for producing enough energy for all other energy-requiring processes in plant metabolism. When oxygen is abundant, respiration processes efficiently convert sugar into energy. However, without oxygen, anaerobic respiration or “fermentation” can only weakly contribute to convert sugar into small amounts of energy.

When plants are grown in oxygen deprived environments (a condition called “hypoxia”), such as in compacted or flooded soils, many will suffer due to inefficient respiration or poor conversion of sugar into energy. However, some plants are better adapted to tolerate low oxygen environments. They do this through changes to the internal (anatomy) and external (morphology) structures of the root, as well as through changes in the architecture of the whole root system.  Some plants tolerate flooding by producing spongy air-filled pockets (called “aerenchyma”) in their roots and stems as a reservoir of oxygen needed for respiration. 

Horticultural Applications:

Consider the microclimates of your planting site. Are there low spots where water pools during periods of occasional flooding? Are there places which have experienced soil compaction from vehicular or pedestrian traffic? If so, place plant species in those locations which are suited to low oxygen conditions. Plants including California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum ) Gooding’s verbena (Verbena goodingii) and devil’s river (Wedelia acapulcensis var. hispida, also known as Zexmenia hispida) are well suited to the basins of a rain garden where standing water may be present for extended periods.

Related Student Views, Cultural Associations and Folklore:

"Although perfume use is widespread in modern culture, plant derived perfumes were an integral part of ancient Roman, Greek, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian cultures. Plant materials were gathered to be blended or extracted to produce fragrant scents that were often worn by politicians and aristocrats. Perfumes were seen as a symbol of status, prosperity and divine beauty that were to be worn at special events. Modern research suggests that natural scents promote feelings of calm, and can reduce stress and anxiety. Scent is also strongly linked to memory and emotion. Like pictures or experiences, fragrances stay connenct us to past experiences and can provide comfort in the connections they inspire. While humans reap these benefits of fragrance, plants produce them for their own protection! The petals and leaves of certain plants release scents as volatile organic compounds (scented oils) which diffuse into the air to either attract pollinators or repel harmful insects. This adaptation allows plants to influence their fate, by strategically releasing volatiles when they can gain the greatest benefit (such as when they attract a pollinator, or deter a pest.)"

~Justyne Gonzalez, B.S. Plant Science - Plant Health Emphasis, Class of 2024.