Response of Some UAE Native Plants to Elevated Level CO2, UVB and Their Combined Effect in Open Top Chambers.

Response of some UAE native plants to elevated level CO₂, UVB and their combined effect in open top chambers

 

Mohammed A. Salem*, Wasef Ayed Al-Zayadneh, A. Senthilkumar

 

Department of Aridland Agriculture, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, PO Box No. 15551, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates is a predominantly arid land containing habitats and communities adapted to survive both small amounts of rare precipitation, and extremes of heat with consequent high evaporative losses. Plants which are native to UAE has adapted to local climatic, edaphic and biotic conditions. However, the increasing emission of CO₂ and its contribution to global climate change has become a growing concern for studing the affect of climate change factor on plants which is native to particular region. So, the present investigation three UAE native plants viz. Aerva javanica, Capparis spinosa, Lycium shawii were studied for its response to elevated level CO­₂, UVB and their combined effect on chlorophyll a, b and total, carotenoids, protein, amino acids, phenol, and enzyme assays and activities including γ-glutamyl kinase, proline oxidase, a-tocopherol activity, peroxidase activity and peroxidases. The experiment was conducted in an Open Top Chambers facility and the treatments were given for 120 days. The results showed that the elevated level CO₂ increased the growth parameters whereas the UVB treatment affects the plant growth when compared to control. Phenol content was increased in UVB treatment and also the antioxidant enzymes were increased in all the treatments when compared to control. The results of the present study suggested that the prolonged effect of climate change factors on native plants can be very helpful to understand the adaptation of native plants to climate change.