Ecology of terrestrial plants in the Antarctic with particular reference to bryophytes

Ecological and phytosociological studies of Antarctic terrestrial plants were reviewed with particular reference to bryophytes. The terrestrial vegetation of the maritime Antarctic consists of two tundra formations of nonvascular cryptogams and of herbs. A scheme of vegetation units (sub-formation, association, sociation) of these formations was established, and their ecological conditions and development have been studied in detail by many authors. The vegetation of the continental Antarctic, however, remains insufficiently studied. The continental vegetation is much more simple in both flora and physiognomy, but it provides several important subjects of ecological interest. Environmental factors related to the vegetational pattern include : water availability, temperature, stability and texture of substrata, chemical edaphic conditions, exposure to wind and sun, degree of snow accumulation, and biotic factors, on which many observations have been made with interesting results. Autecological studies on Antarctic mosses, combining field observations with experiments under controlled conditions, have recently been expanded, which are concerned with growth, reproduction, productivity, nutrients, photosynthesis, and respiration. Some selected species of Antarctic mosses have been physiologically studied in comparison with temperate plants of the same species. These studies are effective in understanding relationships between the moss life and environment, especially the adaptation to Antarctic extreme conditions. Last were proposed and discussed some problems for future studies, such as taxonomical problems to be revised, scheme of vegetation units covering the whole Antarctic, autecological studies on the world-wide basis, and the nature conservation