biotic

The results show that biotic interactions can have a strong influence on plants' ability to adapt to abiotic factors and that adaptation is most efficient when plants are exposed to a variety of interactions.

"But few studies have examined biotic impacts, such as pathogen infection, on thermal tolerance in natural populations in combination with abiotic factors," she explained.

"In addition, physical traits such as body size or fat content can impact how organisms tolerate temperature, so it's vital to consider individual condition, as well as the abiotic and biotic factors that individuals experience in natural environments, when evaluating the heat tolerance of populations."

"Abiotic stresses -- as opposed to biotic stresses like pests or disease -- such as drought, salinity and cold negatively affect plant growth and crop productivity. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to these stressors is essential for stress tolerance in crops," said corresponding author Hidemasa Bono, professor in the Laboratory of Genome Informatics at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life.

But what happens to these biotic communities when the source of hot fluids is exhausted?