Temperature stress and responses of plants

Abstract

Among the abiotic environmental factors temperature is the most important factor which significantly affects life processes of all organisms. Temperature stresses experienced by plants are usually classified into three types: (a) chilling stress (occurring at temperatures below freezing), (b) freezing stress (occurring at low temperatures above freezing), and (c) high temperature stress. This chapter shows the influence of low and high temperature to physiological and metabolic processes in plants. The consequences of chilling and freezing or heat stresses are presented as well as mechanisms of plant resistance to low or high temperature and adaptation or/and acclimatization possibilities is reported in this chapter.