SAN DIEGO (KSWB/KUSI) — Researchers in the past have observed how animals react to a total solar eclipse, but does it affect plants?
With the next solar eclipse set to take place April 8, horticulturists and plant enthusiasts alike can expect some changes in their plants’ behavior. The amount of change, though, will depend on its location in relation to the eclipse’s path of totality.
According to NASA, many plant species may react to the changing light levels during a total solar eclipse. This is due to the fact that plants transform sunlight into chemical energy in a process called photosynthesis.
However, during a solar eclipse — when the moon passes in between the sun and Earth — the sky will become dark as if it were dawn or dusk, leaving plants with little to no sunlight, depending on where they are in the path of totality. NASA also says there may be changes in sap flow or when and how flowers open.
A study published in Scientific Reports in 2019 looked at how sagebrush, a woody and aromatic shrub, reacted to the last total solar eclipse in August 2017. Researchers found that because the moon blocked a large amount of sunlight from reaching the Earth, there was a drop in temperature and changes in vapor pressure deficit, which are considered driving factors of photosynthesis and transpiration, or how water moves through a plant.
These changes messed with the sagebrush’s circadian clock, slowing down the process of photosynthesis and transpiration — the process of a plant pulling water from the soil and releasing vapor into the air — during the period of less sunlight, according to the study.
However, because the totality only lasted about two minutes long, the plant was not affected in the same way it typically would be during dusk or predawn hours, researchers concluded. Instead, the sudden return of sunlight once the moon passed “shocked” the sagebrush, causing a spike in activity.
On April 8, NASA and other members of the public will be collecting data for their Eclipse Soundscapes Project to better understand how the total solar eclipse affects different ecosystems.
You can read tips on how to view the April 8 solar eclipse safely on NASA’s website.
