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Anatomical and physiological adaptations of high mountain plants in Ladakh
Binter, Jan ; Doležal, Jiří (advisor) ; Sklenář, Petr (referee)
The Ladakh region of the northwestern Indian Himalaya is a high-elevation desert that presents a suite of environmental conditions that constrain plant growth. At lower elevations, aridity and high temperatures constrain plant growth. However, at higher elevations, temperature steeply drops and an increase in precipitation occurs. Therefore, the Ladakh region can be considered a natural laboratory where the adaptive responses of plant traits to moisture and temperature gradients can be observed. Plants in high mountain regions had to evolve and adapt to harsh environmental stress including low temperatures, UV radiation, short growing seasons, etc. Morphological, anatomical and physiological adaptations allow plants in Ladakh to grow at altitudes up to 6150 meters. This limit for plant growth in Ladakh is not set by the permanent snow line or any other mechanical barrier, but instead by the inability of plants to survive at such an elevation. This situation allows us to study the physiological limits of plant adaptations in extreme conditions. Thus, studying plants in Ladakh can bring an important understanding to adaptive ability of mountain plants.
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