Cold Air Pools (CAPs) as Natural Freezers for the Study of Plant Responses to Low Temperatures

Cold Air Pools (CAPs) in volcanic landscapes, such as Teide National Park, act as natural freezers where temperatures can plummet dramatically due to the accumulation of cold air under specific topographic and atmospheric conditions. These unique microenvironments, which can persist for days or weeks, provide an opportunity to study plant responses to extreme low temperatures in situ. Unlike surrounding areas, CAPs exhibit distinct biotic communities, suggesting they may serve as microrefugia for biodiversity amid climate warming. This review hypothesizes the ecophysiological adaptations of plants inhabiting these environments and proposes their use as natural laboratories to investigate temperature-induced stress responses without artificial manipulation.

Alday Echechipia, E., Pérez López, U., Fernández Marín, B., Puértolas Simón, J., González Ródrigez, Á. M., Martín Esquivel, J. L., & García Plazaola, J. I. (2025). Cold Air Pools (CAPs) as Natural Freezers for the Study of Plant Responses to Low Temperatures. Plant Ecophysiology, 6. https://doi.org/10.53941/plantecophys.2025.100006