Global analysis of plasticity in turgor loss point, a key drought tolerance trait

Many species face increasing drought under climate change. Plasticity has been predicted to strongly influence species' drought responses, but broad patterns in plasticity have not been examined for key drought tolerance traits, including turgor loss or wilting' point ((tlp)). As soil dries, plants shift (tlp) by accumulating solutes (i.e. osmotic adjustment'). We conducted the first global analysis of plasticity in (tlp) and related traits for 283 wild and crop species in ecosystems worldwide. (tlp) was widely prevalent but moderate (-0.44 MPa), accounting for 16% of post-drought (tlp). Thus, pre-drought (tlp) was a considerably stronger predictor of post-drought (tlp) across species of wild plants. For cultivars of certain crops (tlp) accounted for major differences in post-drought (tlp). Climate was correlated with pre- and post-drought (tlp), but not (tlp). Thus, despite the wide prevalence of plasticity, (tlp) measured in one season can reliably characterise most species' constitutive drought tolerances and distributions relative to water supply.