Organizadores:

Pablo Tejero Ibarra

Sara Palacio Blasco

Celestino Quintero Sabarís

Extreme environments challenge the life of most plants. Among them we find, for example, those in which temperatures are too high or too low, or where the availability of water, light or nutrients, or the presence of toxic substances, hinders metabolism and, therefore, the life of plants. Examples of this type of environment are polar regions, alpine areas, cliffs, deserts or special substrates (such as saline, serpentine or gypsum soils). Despite the limiting conditions that prevail in them, numerous plant species have been able to find, throughout evolution, biochemical, physiological, anatomical and ecological solutions to survive. Consequently, extreme environments are rich in endemic species, many of them with a low tolerance to environmental changes. These species are increasingly threatened by global change. Analyzing the processes and mechanisms behind plant life on extreme environments may provide useful biotechnological tools, help to understand the limits of plant life and contribute to the conservation of these unique floras. This session welcomes contributions on the ecology and evolution of plant life on extreme environments.