| Abstract Detail
Bryology and Lichenology Rocheleau, Lauren [1], Wei, Lan [1], Gonzalez Ramirez, Ixchel [2]. Testing the limits of desiccation tolerance in the liverwort Asterella californica. Many bryophyte taxa are adapted to environments with yearly and regular dry and wet seasons. Upon rehydration, the tissue of these bryophytes is able to recover from a desiccated state. Since the repairment of damaged cell membranes during rehydration requires energy, relatively frequent drying-rewetting events can potentially alter the success of plant recovery. As water availability becomes less predictable with climate change, it is crucial to better understand the limit of desiccation tolerance in non-model groups. However, very few studies have investigated the impact of frequent rehydration events on liverwort taxa. Over simulations of desiccation-rehydration cycles in a lab setting, we explore the response to consecutive drying periods in Asterella californica, a complex thalloid liverwort native to western North America. By analyzing multiple variables of the thallus over consecutive rehydration cycles, we quantified the rehydration behaviour of A. californica for the first time, and we evaluated the effect of frequent rehydration events on the recovery capability of the thallus. Our study provides insights on the potential effects of climate change on A. californica populations as well as the ecosystems that the species is a part of.
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1 - University of California, Berkeley, USA
2 - University of California, Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, USA
Keywords:
Liverwort
Drought Tolerance.
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P1, Bryology and Lichenology Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Monday, July 19th, 2021
Time: 5:00 PM(EDT)
Number: P1BL003
Abstract ID:723
Candidate for Awards:None |
