CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON FRUIT TREES AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES OF ADVERSE EFFECTS

Abstract

Climate change is a terminology used during the last decades, referring to the changes in climate experienced in most areas of the world. The changes in climate are experienced mainly as extreme weather conditions, heavy and sudden rainfall, ice melting, extreme high temperatures during the summer months accompanied by long dry periods, in areas never before experiencing such weather conditions. The most evident though example is the increase of earth’s mean temperature, referred as global warming. Apart from the direct effects in humanity’s day life and way of living, every living organism is experiencing right now the effects of climate change. Plants are among the organisms most affected by adverse weather conditions, as they do not have the mechanism of easy escape from the stress, i.e. cannot immigrate. The effects on plant growth and productivity as well as on plant diversity are expected to be severe and important. The present review aims on presenting the effects on the main physiological functions of the plants along with ways to mitigate these adverse effects.