Annual development of mat-forming conjugating green algae Zygnema spp. in hydro-terrestrial habitats in the Arctic
In the Arctic, Zygnema spp. survives harsh periods as modified vegetative cells, i.e., preakinetes, tolerating desiccation during summer and freezing in winter. These cells are not dormant and therefore recover their physiological activity immediately after transfer to favorable conditions, undergoi...
| Published in: | Polar Biology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1889-y http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0264251 |
| Summary: | In the Arctic, Zygnema spp. survives harsh periods as modified vegetative cells, i.e., preakinetes, tolerating desiccation during summer and freezing in winter. These cells are not dormant and therefore recover their physiological activity immediately after transfer to favorable conditions, undergoing rapid growth in the early spring. Nevertheless, once preakinetes begin to grow, these newly produced vegetative cells lose stress tolerance. Such rapid dehardening explains their high mortality due to frequent freeze–thaw cycles in the early spring. Arctic Zygnema spp. thus face a phenological trade-off between missing the early growing season and experiencing frost damage. |
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