Traits and functions of alpine plant communities respond strongly but not always sufficiently to in situ climate change.

Increasing climate warming and summer droughts are known to affect mountain plant communities, their functional traits and life strategies. However, little is known about how strongly and efficiently communities respond to climate change, and how tightly plant responses are linked to responses of ecosystem functions. To test this, we transplanted alpine plant communities to subalpine conditions, exposing them to warming and drying.

FERONIA and microtubules independently contribute to mechanical integrity in the Arabidopsis shoot.

To survive, cells must constantly resist mechanical stress. In plants, this involves the reinforcement of cell walls, notably through microtubule-dependent cellulose deposition. How wall sensing might contribute to this response is unknown.