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Is survival after ice encasement related with sugar distribution in organs of the Antarctic plants Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae) and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae)?

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Abstract

Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis are usually covered by snow from April to November. It is unknown whether the leaves survive ice encasement. This study proposes that day length influences sugar distribution in C. quitensis and that sugar accumulation favors re-growths after an ice encasement period. The objectives of this work were: (1) to study the effect of day length and low temperature on sugar distribution in organs of C. quitensis and (2) to study the survival and recovery of D. antarctica and C. quitensis after a period of ice encasement. Extremely short day length (SD) (8/16 h) and long day length (LD) (21/3 h) was used, medium (MD) (16/8 h) corresponding at control day length. Also two temperatures: 4°C (cold acclimated) and 15°C (control) were evaluated. Both factors: day length and cold acclimation significantly affected sugar distribution in C. quitensis. Both species presented a high rate of survival after ice encasement. D. antarctica conserved most of their leaves green, while C. quitensis presented dead leaves and new shoots in plants from cold acclimated under SD. Only in D. antarctica the number of green leaves after ice encasement was positively correlated with sugar content in underground organs. The high sugar content in green leaves of both species suggested fast activity recovery after snow melting.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge Fondecyt 2000136 project for its financial support, and Instituto Chileno Antártico for the logistic and official permits for collecting plants in a special protected area. We also thank Alexis Estay and Valeria Neira for their technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Geociencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile

    Alejandra Zúñiga-Feest

  2. Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile

    Luisa Bascuñán-Godoy, León A. Bravo & Luis J. Corcuera

  3. Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto de Agroindustrias, Ciencias y Administración, Universidad de la Frontera, Casilla 54-D, Temuco, Chile

    Marjorie Reyes-Diaz

Authors
  1. Alejandra Zúñiga-Feest
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  2. Luisa Bascuñán-Godoy
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  3. Marjorie Reyes-Diaz
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  4. León A. Bravo
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  5. Luis J. Corcuera
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Correspondence to Alejandra Zúñiga-Feest.

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Zúñiga-Feest, A., Bascuñán-Godoy, L., Reyes-Diaz, M. et al. Is survival after ice encasement related with sugar distribution in organs of the Antarctic plants Deschampsia antarctica Desv. (Poaceae) and Colobanthus quitensis (Kunth) Bartl. (Caryophyllaceae)?. Polar Biol 32, 583–591 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0553-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0553-6

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