Abstract
In this review all recent field studies on the effects of UV-B radiation on bryophytes are discussed. In most of the studies fluorescent UV-B tubes are used to expose the vegetation to enhanced levels of UV-B radiation to simulate stratospheric ozone depletion. Other studies use screens to filter the UV-B part of the solar spectrum, thereby comparing ambient levels of UV-B with reduced UV-B levels, or analyse effects of natural variations in UV-B arising from stratospheric ozone depletion. Nearly all studies show that mosses are well adapted to ambient levels of UV-B radiation since UV-B hardly affects growth parameters. In contrast with outdoor studies on higher plants, soluble UV-B absorbing compounds in bryophytes are typically not induced by enhanced levels of UV-B radiation. A few studies have demonstrated that UV-B radiation can influence plant morphology, photosynthetic capacity, photosynthetic pigments or levels of DNA damage. However, there is only a limited number of outdoor studies presented in the literature. More additional, especially long-term, experiments are needed to provide better data for statistical meta-analyses. A mini UV-B supplementation system is described, especially designed to study effects of UV-B radiation at remote field locations under harsh conditions, and which is therefore suited to perform long-term studies in the Arctic or Antarctic. The first results are presented from a long-term UV-B supplementation experiment at Signy Island in the Maritime Antarctic.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 137-152 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Plant ecology |
Volume | 182 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan-2006 |
Keywords
- Antarctic
- Arctic
- bryophytes
- Chorisodontium aciplyllum
- cyclobutane Pyrimidine dimers
- DNA damage
- mosses
- ozone depletion
- Polytrichum strictum
- Sanionia uncinata
- terrestrial polar ecosystems
- ultraviolet-B radiation
- UV-B exposure systems
- UVBR
- Warnstorfia sarmentosa
- STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION
- TIERRA-DEL-FUEGO
- SUB-ARCTIC HEATH
- SIMULATED CLIMATE-CHANGE
- UNCINATA HEDW. LOESKE
- ULTRAVIOLET-RADIATION
- HIGHER-PLANTS
- TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
- OXIDATIVE STRESS
- GLOBAL CHANGE