SS 28 - How Hot Is Too Hot for Land Plants? Surviving Heatwaves in the Anthropocene

Session Description: Extreme heat events have been recorded across Earth in recent decades, often well exceeding prior observed maximum temperature records. While already recognized as an agent of excess human mortality, extreme heat’s impact on plant survival is poorly understood. Recent heatwaves have caused forest canopy die-back in North America, Europe, and Australia. As plants define the habitat for many forms of life, extreme heatwave impacts have far-reaching consequences on ecosystems. From the smallest microbe on a leaf, to Earth’s largest living organisms, heat extremes are impacting plant life at every scale. As heat extremes become more frequent and intense in many parts of the world, often atop other climatic extremes like droughts or floods, it is becoming increasingly important to know “how hot is too hot?” for plants and plant-dependent life. Furthermore, future management for the impacts of heat extremes will require close partnerships among academic, industry, managers, and other stakeholders—making this special session well aligned with the “ESA for all ecologists” theme. In this special session, we will have a “Town Hall” style meeting, facilitated by the lead and co-organizers, to discuss what is known about extreme heat impacts on plant function, and to outline a research agenda for improving our understanding the impact of extreme heat events. Ecologists studying multiple systems—from the rhizosphere, to aboveground vegetation, to fungi and animal inhabitants of vegetated communities—are encouraged to contribute during this special session. We plan to continue the special session as a conference report paper after the session’s conclusion.