A Worldwide Survey Reveals Four Distinct Patterns of Photochemical Dehydration Tolerance Across Land Plant Phylogeny.

Lichens and mosses showed the highest overall PSII maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) recovery after severe dehydration, with four response patterns spanning 318 land plant species.

• Why it matters: Dehydration tolerance varies across land plant evolution, but standardized, phylogeny-wide photochemical comparisons are needed to clarify how different lineages respond to dehydration and rehydration.
• What they did: Across 318 species from lichens, bryophytes, pteridophytes, and spermatophytes, the authors used a portable dehydration test and analyzed standardized Fv/Fm recovery for samples with optimal pre-dehydration conditions and RWC below 25%.
• The result: Four photochemical responses were dehydration-sensitive (61.2%), rehydration-sensitive (18.6%), dehydration-tolerant (13.6%), and dehydration-resistant (6.5%), with dehydration-resistant patterns rare and seen particularly in polar/high-altitude angiosperms.

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