Wiley, New Phytologist, 2(160), p. 379-389, 2003
DOI: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00898.x
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Summary • Tierra del Fuego is subject to increases in solar UV-B radiation in the austral spring and summer due to ozone depletion. • Plastic films were used to filter solar UV-B radiation over peatland plots through six field seasons, resulting in near-ambient ( c . 90%) and reduced ( c . 17%) solar UV-B treatments. • As in the first three field seasons of treatments, near-ambient UV-B caused reduced height growth but had no effect on biomass production of the moss Sphag- num magellanicum. It reduced leaf and rhizome growth of Tetroncium magellani- cum . Height growth and morphology of Empetrum rubrum and Nothofagus antarctica were only affected by solar UV-B during the fourth to sixth field seasons. There was also a decrease in Tetroncium leaf nitrogen under near-ambient UV-B. • Growth of Sphagnum was less affected than that of most emergent vascular plants. This enabled the Sphagnum mat to engulf more Nothofagus , and limit the escape of Empetrum under near-ambient UV-B. Yet, differences in the response of species to solar UV-B were not expressed as changes in plant community composition.