Integrated drought tolerance strategies in Cerrado plants and their agricultural implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/cerrado.v3i2.874Keywords:
Plant Ecophysiology, Water Stress, Functional Traits, Water Use Efficiency, Tropical SavannasAbstract
Drought tolerance in plants arises from coordinated interactions among morphological, hydraulic, and physiological processes that regulate water acquisition, transport, and conservation under water-limited conditions. This study aimed to synthesize and critically evaluate functional strategies associated with drought tolerance In Cerrado plants and their implications for agricultural systems. An Integrative literature review was conducted following PRISMA-based guidelines, using Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and SciELO. Studies published between 2004 and 2024 were considered, resulting in”28 selected articles after screening and eligibility assessment. The results Indicate that deep root systems, hydraulic safety mechanisms, stomatal regulation, and osmotic adjustment are key components of drought responses. Trade-offs between hydraulic efficiency and safety, and between water conservation and carbon assimilation, were consistently reported. Environmental factors, particularly soil properties and climatic seasonality, strongly modulate these responses. This study demonstrates that drought tolerance depends on functional coordination rather than Isolated traits, providing a more integrative framework for understanding plant resilience under climate change.
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