Convergent evidence for the temperature-dependent emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants

Zhihao Pang, Félix Tombeur, Sue E. Hartley, Constantin M. Zohner, Miroslav Nikolic, Cyrille Violle, Lidong Mo, Thomas W. Crowther, Dong-Xing Guan, Zhongkui Luo, Yong-Guan Zhu, Yuxiao Wang, Ping Zhang, Hongyun Peng, Caroline A. E. Strömberg, Nina Nikolic () and Yongchao Liang ()
Additional contact information
Zhihao Pang: Zhejiang University
Félix Tombeur: IRD
Sue E. Hartley: University of Sheffield
Constantin M. Zohner: ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
Miroslav Nikolic: University of Belgrade
Cyrille Violle: IRD
Lidong Mo: ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
Thomas W. Crowther: ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)
Dong-Xing Guan: Zhejiang University
Zhongkui Luo: Zhejiang University
Yong-Guan Zhu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yuxiao Wang: Zhejiang University
Ping Zhang: Zhejiang University
Hongyun Peng: Zhejiang University
Caroline A. E. Strömberg: University of Washington
Nina Nikolic: University of Belgrade
Yongchao Liang: Zhejiang University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Research on silicon (Si) biogeochemistry and its beneficial effects for plants has received significant attention over several decades, but the reasons for the emergence of high-Si plants remain unclear. Here, we combine experimentation, field studies and analysis of existing databases to test the role of temperature on the expression and emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants. We first show that Si is beneficial for rice under high temperature (40 °C), but harmful under low temperature (0 °C), whilst a 2 °C increase results in a 37% increase in leaf Si concentrations. We then find that, globally, the average distribution temperature of high-Si plant clades is 1.2 °C higher than that of low-Si clades. Across China, leaf Si concentrations increase with temperature in high-Si plants (wheat and rice), but not in low-Si plants (weeping willow and winter jasmine). From an evolutionary perspective, 77% of high-Si families (>10 mg Si g−1 DW) originate during warming episodes, while 86% of low-Si families (

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56438-0

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