A plant identified that could grow on Mars

A future civilization on Mars could be accompanied by one very strange and hardy little plant.

A type of moss found in the desert – named Syntrichia caninervis— may be able to survive and grow in the harsh environment of Mars, according to a new journal article Innovation.

This moss can grow in freezing temperatures down to -320.8 degrees Fahrenheit and can survive levels of gamma radiation that would kill most other plants and life forms.

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

“Our study shows that environmental resistance S. caninervis is superior to 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 building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.”

Mars has a number of conditions that make it challenging for potential human exploration and habitation, with a thin atmosphere composed mostly of carbon dioxide, with small amounts of nitrogen, argon, and traces of oxygen and water vapor. Atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than 1 percent of Earth’s, averaging about 6 millibars, compared to Earth’s 1,013 millibars at sea level, and the average surface temperature is about -80 degrees F, but can range from about -195 during winter degrees F. at the poles to 70 degrees F. during summer at the equator.

Additionally, water on Mars exists mostly as ice, with the 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 is exposed to high levels of cosmic radiation that would pose a significant risk to human explorers and anything grown on its soil.

This is the first time an entire plant has been tested for its ability to withstand conditions in space or on another world. Syntrichia caninervis is found worldwide, growing in harsh environments from Tibet to Antarctica, making it a perfect candidate for testing in Martian conditions.

In the paper, the researchers describe how the moss was stored at -112 degrees F for three or five years and at -320 degrees F for 15 and 30 days. After thawing, they found that the plants were able to regenerate and grow. They also found that if the moss was dehydrated before freezing, it recovered more quickly.

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

“Our results indicate this S. caninervis are among the known organisms with the greatest resistance to radiation,” the researchers wrote in the article.

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

“WITH. caninervis represents a promising candidate for facilitation colonization
formative efforts on Mars or other planets. It is not only because S. caninervis
is a land plant with extreme resistance to multiple stresses, but also because it could
serves as a pioneer species and foundation for establishment and maintenance
ecosystem by contributing to oxygen production, carbon sequestration,
and soil fertility,” the researchers wrote. “Thus, S. caninervis may help control the atmospheric, geological, and ecological processes required by other higher plants and animals, while facilitating the creation of new habitable environments leading to long-term human settlement.”

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

Do you have a tip for a science story that Newsweek should it be opaque? Have a question about Mars? Let us know at science@newsweek.com.