Photosynthetic microbes in freezing deserts.

Polar Microalgae: New Approaches towards Understanding Adaptations to an Extreme and Changing Environment

Polar Regions are unique and highly prolific ecosystems characterized by extreme environmental gradients. Photosynthetic autotrophs, the base of the food web, have had to adapt physiological mechanisms to maintain growth, reproduction and metabolic activity despite environmental conditions that would shut-down cellular processes in most organisms. High latitudes are characterized by temperature...

Cloudy with a Chance of Microbes Terrestrial microbes swept into clouds can catalyze the freezing of water and may influence precipitation on a global scale

Some growth and biochemical changes of viola (Viola × wittrockiana) and Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) ornamental plants to freezing stress

Exposure to freezing stress causes physiological, biochemical and molecular changes in plants, that are associated with reduced growth and development. In these areas, sensitive species are removed and the geographical distribution is changed. This study was conducted to evaluate some vegetative and biochemical responses of two cold-resistant ornamental plants, viola (Viola wittrockiana) and Sn...

Summer and winter sensitivity of leaves and xylem to minimum freezing temperatures: a comparison of co-occurring Mediterranean oaks that differ in leaf lifespan.

Freezing sensitivity of leaves and xylem was examined in four co-occurring Mediterranean oaks (Quercus spp.) grown in a common garden to determine whether freezing responses of leaves and xylem were coordinated and could be predicted by leaf lifespan. Freezing-induced embolism and loss of photosynthetic function were measured after overnight exposure to a range of subzero temperatures in both s...

Leaf cold acclimation and freezing injury in C3 and C4 grasses of the Mongolian Plateau

The scarcity of C4 plants in cool climates is usually attributed to their lower photosynthetic efficiency than C3 species at low temperatures. However, a lower freezing resistance may also decrease the competitive advantage of C4 plants by reducing canopy duration, especially in continental steppe grasslands, where a short, hot growing season is bracketed by frost events. This paper reports an ...