[1] Tolerance to desiccation has been utilized in the Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryote kingdoms[1] to take advantage of ecological niches.
[2] The tolerance to desiccation is often combined with other abiotic stress factors such as temperature extremes, malnutrition, vitamin imbalances, salinity content, and ultraviolet radiation.
The notable leaf curling attributed to S. lepidophylla, tested by Lebkeucher and Eickmeier in 1991, occurs to prevent photoinhibition in the microphylls in response to UV radiation and gradual leaf uncurling when rehydrated, protects the plant from the same photoinhibition until photon fluxes are fully processed.
[3] Hymenophyllaceae are poikilohydrous ferns that grow in high-humidity, high-shade areas like the rainforests of Trinidad, Venezuela and New Zealand.
Two major components of efficiency have been focused on by these ferns: reducing wasteful structures and increasing light absorption.
Regulating water levels takes energy and it is not critical to survival in these environments, so structures such as the stomata are no longer present in Hymenophyllaceae.
[2] In order to survive recurrent desiccation events, poikilohydric plants have developed key mechanisms that prevent damage to internal structures.
PDT plants lose their chlorophyll with desiccation, must rebuild their photosynthetic apparatus, and cannot resurrect new leaves when detached.
Light and desiccation responses of some Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns) from Trinidad, Venezuela and New Zealand: Poikilohydry in a light-limited but low evaporation ecological niche.