Abstract
The moss, Warnstorfia exannulata (Schimp.) Loeske, was first reported forming a carpet beside a water pool in Ny-Ålesund (78°56′N), Svalbard in 1959. Fifty years later, in 2008, it was found growing as an aquatic in a pool. The moss is sensitive to seasonal changes and exhibits a pattern of seasonal growth: summer stems with densely arranged leaves and lateral branches, and winter growth with short-leaved stems and no lateral branch. The mean daily increase in stem length is 0.68 mm in summer and 0.07 mm in winter. The longest specimens were up to 8 years old. The growth of the moss reflects closely seasonal temperature and growth conditions. World distribution is discussed and global distribution mapped.
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Acknowledgments
We wish to express our sincere gratitude to the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, the State Oceanic Administration of China. Many thanks also to the members of the 5th Chinese Antarctic Scientific Expedition teams for their help during the field work. We would like to thank Halina Bednarek-Ochyra for providing the drawings of the leaves. This study was supported by the International Co-operation Project of Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration (No. IC 201103), the Innovation Key Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2-EW-J-1) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41271222).
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Guo, CQ., Ochyra, R., Wu, PC. et al. Warnstorfia exannulata, an aquatic moss in the Arctic: seasonal growth responses. Climatic Change 119, 407–419 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0724-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-013-0724-5