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- Title
Novel Biogenic Aggregation of Moss Gemmae on a Disappearing African Glacier.
- Authors
Uetake, Jun; Tanaka, Sota; Hara, Kosuke; Tanabe, Yukiko; Samyn, Denis; Motoyama, Hideaki; Imura, Satoshi; Kohshima, Shiro
- Abstract
Tropical regions are not well represented in glacier biology, yet many tropical glaciers are under threat of disappearance due to climate change. Here we report a novel biogenic aggregation at the terminus of a glacier in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. The material was formed by uniseriate protonemal moss gemmae and protonema. Molecular analysis of five genetic markers determined the taxon as Ceratodon purpureus, a cosmopolitan species that is widespread in tropical to polar region. Given optimal growing temperatures of isolate is 20–30°C, the cold glacier surface might seem unsuitable for this species. However, the cluster of protonema growth reached approximately 10°C in daytime, suggesting that diurnal increase in temperature may contribute to the moss’s ability to inhabit the glacier surface. The aggregation is also a habitat for microorganisms, and the disappearance of this glacier will lead to the loss of this unique ecosystem.
- Subjects
MOSSES; GENETIC markers; PROTONEMATA; GLACIOLOGY; CRYOBIOLOGY; EARTH sciences
- Publication
PLoS ONE, 2014, Vol 9, Issue 11, p1
- ISSN
1932-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0112510