Why are ferns more desperate for water than other plants?

Background/Question/Methods

Ferns are worldwide more restricted to humid places than other vascular plants. Currently, the justification in literature has been over the necessity of water for fertilization to occur and the passive stomatal response to changes in the environment. Although true, this is not enough to explain the low diversity and abundance of ferns in dryer places. In this study, we evaluated if ferns lose more water to the environment than angiosperms. To achieve this, we measured gas exchange in the long- and short-term, in addition to the stomatal and cuticle permeability

Results/Conclusions

We found that ferns have higher transpiration rates, permeability, and no circadian rhythms linked to gas exchange. Our study provides important novel insight into the ecophysiology of early divergent plants and the need to diversify the study models beyond plants of agricultural importance for a better understanding of ecosystem functioning.