Pigment analyses revealed that the total VAZ pool was in the upper range of the values reported for most plant species, suggesting that they are exposed to a high degree of environmental stress. To test whether this mechanism operates dynamically in Antarctic plant communities, we characterised pigment dynamics under natural field conditions in two representative species: the moss Polytrichum juniperinum and the grass Deschampsia antarctica.

The VAZ cycle regulates the dissipation of the excess of absorbed light as heat, which is the main mechanism of photoprotection in plants. These conditions could prevent the operation of the photoprotective xanthophyll (VAZ) cycle as low irradiance reduces the excess of energy and low temperatures limit enzyme activity. Under such conditions, photosynthetic activity is temperature-limited and plant communities are formed by a few species. The summer climate in Maritime Antarctica is characterised by high humidity and cloudiness with slightly above zero temperatures.

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