Plant identified that could grow on Mars

A future civilization on Mars could be accompanied by a very special and resilient plant.

A type of moss found in the desert – called Syntrichia caninervis—may be able to survive and thrive in the harsh conditions of Mars, according to a new paper in the journal Mars The innovation.

This moss can grow in temperatures as low as -320.8 degrees Fahrenheit and can survive levels of gamma radiation that would be lethal to most other plants and life forms.

The plant can also withstand incredibly dry conditions, as well as a combination of drought, heavy radiation and cold weather in a simulation of conditions on the Red Planet.

“Our research shows that environmental resilience S. caninervis “is superior to that of some highly stress-resistant microorganisms and tardigrades,” the researchers wrote in the paper.S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for the colonization of extraterrestrial environments and lays the foundation for the construction of biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.”

Mars has a range of conditions that make it challenging for potential human exploration and habitation, with a thin atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen, argon and trace amounts of oxygen and water vapor. The atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than 1 percent of Earth’s, averaging about 6 millibars, compared to Earth’s 1013 millibars at sea level, and the average surface temperature is about -80 degrees F, but can range from about -195 degrees F. at the poles to 70 degrees F during the summer at the equator.

Additionally, water on Mars is mostly ice, with polar ice caps composed of water and dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide). Mars also does not have a global magnetic field like Earth, meaning that anything on its surface would be exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation, which would pose a significant risk to human explorers and anything growing on the soil.

This is the first time that a whole plant has been tested for its ability to withstand conditions in space or on another world. Syntrichia caninervis is found all over the world and grows in harsh conditions, from Tibet to Antarctica. This makes it the perfect candidate for testing under Martian conditions.

In the article, the researchers describe how the moss was stored at -112 degrees F for three to five years, and at -320 degrees F for 15 and 30 days. After thawing, they found that the plants could regenerate and grow. They also found that if the moss was dried out before freezing, they recovered faster.

They also tested the plant under different doses of radiation and found that the plant survived and even thrived at levels up to 500 Gray (Gy). For comparison, humans typically die after exposure to about 8 Gy.

‘Our results indicate that S. caninervis is one of the most radiation-resistant organisms known,” the researchers wrote in the article.

The researchers then combined all these environmental factors on Mars, exposing the plant to fluctuating temperatures between -76 and 68 degrees F, low atmospheric pressure, air that was 95 percent CO2, and high levels of ultraviolet radiation. They found that if the moss had dried previously, it had a 100 percent recovery rate 30 days after exposure, while hydrated plants also recovered, but much more slowly.

“S. caninervis represents a promising candidate as a colonist for terrorism
formative efforts on Mars or other planets. This is not only because S. caninervis
is a land plant with an extreme multiple stress tolerance, but also because it could
serve as a pioneer species and the basis for establishment and conservation
of the ecosystem by contributing to oxygen production, carbon sequestration,
and soil fertility,” the researchers wrote. “Thus, S. caninervis may help drive the atmospheric, geological, and ecological processes needed by other higher plants and animals, while facilitating the creation of new habitable environments conducive to long-term human settlement.”

They continued: ‘While there is still a long way to go to create self-sustaining habitats on other planets, we have realized the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars. Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or the Moon to further test the possibility of colonization and growth of plants in space.”

Do you have a tip about a scientific story that Newsweek need to cover? Do you have a question about Mars? Let us know at science@newsweek.com.