חנניה פורסט
סטודנט
לומד לתואר שני בבית-הספר למדעי הצמח ובטחון מזון באוניברסיטת תל-אביב, בהנחייה משותפת עם פרופ’ מרסלו שטרנברג. מחקרו עוסק בשונות המרחבית של צבירת סיליקון בצומח ארץ-ישראל.
תקציר הצעת המחקר:
Plants can benefit by absorbing soluble Silicon (Si) from the soil, as they do with some other elements. Previous studies have shown that Si in plants plays an anti-herbivory role, as well as reducing water loss by evapotranspiration in arid habitats. Plants not only accumulate Si, but can also use it to form special intracellular structures called ‘phytoliths’. These inorganic structures can often replace organic structures and strength cellular components such as lignin and cellulose, suggesting silicon can be a partial substitute for carbon. In this study we aim to examine the relationship between Si content in plant tissues and changing habitat conditions on vegetation developing along a climatic gradient in Israel. We hypothesize that Si contents in the Flora of Israel increase with increasing aridity. We will test this by sampling a wide range of plant communities growing under different environmental conditions along a climatic gradient in Israel.