FLOATING ASYMMETRY AS A SENSITIVE INDICATOR OF PLANT RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze and synthesize the current literature on fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as a sensitive indicator of plant responses to environmental stress. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was applied to identify, analyze, and select studies available in databases such as SciELO, CAPES, Google Scholar, and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD). Keywords related to the topic were used, and the initial screening of studies was performed through the reading of titles and abstracts. Subsequently, exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in the selection of 17 studies for detailed analysis. The results demonstrated that FA is an effective approach for assessing levels of environmental stress experienced by plants; however, it is not applicable to all individuals, as some species may exhibit resistance mechanisms.