Growth–defence trade-off defines a diffusion limit. A commentary on ‘Boundary-line trade-off in bryophytes between UV photoprotection and photosynthetic capacity, but not desiccation tolerance’
Abstract
This commentary argues that bryophytes face two linked physiological limits. Investment in cell-wall UV-screening compounds appears to strengthen photoprotection but can also reduce internal CO2 diffusion and constrain photosynthetic capacity, while desiccation tolerance is more closely tied to chloroplast-based protective processes such as non-photochemical quenching. Together, these patterns frame a broader growth-defense trade-off that helps explain why survival and carbon gain can diverge in dryland bryophytes.
Type
Publication
Annals of Botany
