广西大学林学院曹坤芳研究员与他的两位研究生，参与美国加州大学洛杉矶分校的劳任·萨克（Lawren Sack）教授的团队合作研究，利用自测数据和文献数据研究表明，耐旱性主要受植物遗传决定，相关研究论文近日发表在《生态学快报》上。

据介绍，植物抗旱关键性状——叶片膨压丧失点（植物叶片耐失水能力）可塑性的广泛性，此前没人做过研究。他们通过对全球范围内246种野生植物、37种相关测定数据进行分析，发现叶片耐失水能力的可塑性虽然普遍存在，但是幅度较少，干旱期间通过渗透调节的耐失水能力增加平均只占16%。只有少数野生植物和农作物品种的情况例外，干旱期间主要通过渗透调节来提高叶片耐失水能力。植物耐旱性主要由遗传决定。

曹坤芳说，由于气候变化导致南方一些地区干旱频率和强度增加，森林植被中一些耐旱植物将逐渐占优势，而森林生产力和固碳功能可能降低，通过对植物耐旱性分析可以预测植物的分布。同时，植物渗透调节能力（植物的耐旱可塑性）是有限的，农林业育种应该从生成型遗传基础考虑。（来源：中国科学报 贺根生）

Global analysis of plasticity in turgor loss point, a key drought tolerance trait

Abstract  Many species face increasing drought under climate change. Plasticity has been predicted to strongly influence species' drought responses, but broad patterns in plasticity have not been examined for key drought tolerance traits, including turgor loss or ‘wilting’ point (πtlp). As soil dries, plants shift πtlp by accumulating solutes (i.e. ‘osmotic adjustment’). We conducted the first global analysis of plasticity in Δπtlp and related traits for 283 wild and crop species in ecosystems worldwide. Δπtlp was widely prevalent but moderate (−0.44 MPa), accounting for 16% of post-drought πtlp. Thus, pre-drought πtlp was a considerably stronger predictor of post-drought πtlp across species of wild plants. For cultivars of certain crops Δπtlp accounted for major differences in post-drought πtlp. Climate was correlated with pre- and post-drought πtlp, but not Δπtlp. Thus, despite the wide prevalence of plasticity, πtlp measured in one season can reliably characterise most species' constitutive drought tolerances and distributions relative to water supply.

原文链接：http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12374/pdf