Basking in the sun: how mosses photosynthesise and survive in Antarctica.

ABSTRACT: The Antarctic environment is extremely cold, windy and dry. Ozone depletion has resulted in increasing ultraviolet-B radiation, and increasing greenhouse gases and decreasing stratospheric ozone have altered Antarctica's climate. How do mosses thrive photosynthetically in this harsh environment? Antarctic mosses take advantage of microclimates where the combination of protection from wind, sufficient melt water, nutrients from seabirds and optimal sunlight provides both photosynthetic energy and sufficient warmth for efficient metabolism. The amount of sunlight presents a challenge: more light creates warmer canopies which are optimal for photosynthetic enzymes but can contain excess light energy that could damage the photochemical apparatus. Antarctic mosses thus exhibit strong photoprote

SUBMITTER: Yin H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10684656 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature