Effect of storage time on the physiological characteristics and vegetative regeneration of desiccation‐tolerant mosses on the Loess Plateau, China

Abstract

The artificial cultivation of moss biocrusts can accelerate the recovery of degraded arid lands and is closely related to moss productivity. Understanding the properties of inoculation materials on the regenerative capacity of mosses, in particular the effect of time limits on storage, has the potential to benefit the cultivation of artificial moss biocrusts. We investigated the vegetative regeneration and physiological characteristics of three desiccation‐tolerant mosses (Barbula unguiculata, Didymodon vinealis, and Didymodon tectorum) upon rehydration after periods of desiccation storage for 40, 89, 127, and 197 days. Regenerative capacity, represented by gametophyte vigor index, decreased with increased storage time. The greatest change in vegetative regeneration among storage times was observed in B. unguiculata, where the gametophyte vigor index decreased by 95.74% after 197 days of storage. Over the same period, there were smaller decreases in gametophyte vigor index of D. vinealis and D. tectorum of 42.17% and 13.30%, respectively. Malondialdehyde and soluble sugar increased with longer periods of storage time, while soluble protein content first increased, then decreased. Oxidation levels are important factors influencing the recovery of desiccation‐tolerant mosses. All three moss species regenerated after 197 days of storage, but regenerative capacity is dependent on species. For land managers, biocrust restoration can be facilitated by careful screening of suitable moss species, based on their capacity to regenerate new growth after extended periods of storage and selection of species based on variations in physiological characteristics.

Drought-tolerant cyanobacteria and mosses as biotechnological tools to attain land degradation neutrality

“…In this regard, the research is making steps forward, observing that long-term conservation of propagules is not possible for all the species. For example, Guo et al (2020) observed a relatively well-maintained vegetative regeneration capability of Didymodon tectorum after 127 d of storage; Barbula unguiculata lost nearly 96 % of gametophyte vigor index after the same period. At the same time, cells of S. ruralis, withstanding long dormancy, can be stored even for 20 years in an herbarium (Doherty et al, 2020).…”

Phylogeny and divergence time estimation of the genus Didymodon (Pottiaceae) based on nuclear and chloroplast markers

“…Didymodon species generally have typically morphological features that provide resistance to drought conditions such as turf‐forming ability, strong central strands, thin laminal cell walls, and increased guide cells and massive papillae which can promote water transportation and avoid damage from solar radiation (Zander, 1993; Kou et al, 2014). Didymodon is always considered a xerophytic functional group as the main components of soil biocrusts can increase soil stability through binding soil and sand particles and increase soil fertility and carbon fixation by the capture of nutrient‐rich dust (Bao et al, 2019; Guo et al, 2020; Kou et al, 2020). Further, Didymodon is recommended as an indicator of climate change on the Tibetan Plateau due to its distribution shifts and high sensitivity to temperature change (Song et al, 2015; Kou et al, 2020).…”

Biocrust restoration: a key tool to recover degraded arid ecosystem functioning

“…También influye el tipo de sustrato usado para su cultivo, por ejemplo, Cruz de Carvalho et al ( 2018) cultivaron musgo en condiciones controladas y obtuvieron una mayor cobertura en sustratos ricos en materia orgánica en comparación con el sustrato arenoso del que procedía el musgo. Por otro lado, el almacenamiento del musgo durante largos periodos de tiempo también puede afectar a su capacidad de regeneración tras la rehidratación, influyendo de forma diferente a distintas especies de musgo (Guo et al 2020). La aplicación de estabilizadores del suelo puede aumentar la adherencia al mismo y el éxito en el establecimiento del inóculo, aunque este efecto depende del tipo de compuesto usado (Blankenship et al 2020).…”