Warming reduces stress in Antarctic moss

In moss-dominated regions of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, dramatic climate features have profoundly impacted moss biology and terrestrial ecology. In a study focused on the effects of six-years of passive warming on Antarctic mosses, Shortlidge et al. utilised open top chambers (OTCs) on moss communities. They found an overall increase in moss growth and sporophyte production with warming.

Polytrichastrum alpinum, a prominent Antarctic species, showed reduced physiological and cellular stress, but an enhanced reproductive effort under warming. These findings provide a species-specific mechanistic insight into moss responses to warming in the Antarctic.