Over the past few decades, plant life on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold because of the warming climate. Satellite data showed less than one square kilometer of vegetation in 1986, but by 2021, it had grown to nearly 12 square kilometers. Most of this plant growth consists of mosses, and researchers have observed that it has spread rapidly since 2016.
This increase in vegetation is significant because Antarctica is mostly ice and bare rock. The continent is warming faster than the global average, and scientists worry that this greening could allow invasive species to enter the fragile Antarctic ecosystem. Such species could disrupt the balance of this unique environment.
Similar changes have been observed in the Arctic, where, for the first time in 2021, rain—not snow—fell on the summit of Greenland’s ice cap. Dr. Thomas Roland from the University of Exeter, UK, who co-led the study, said that although plants cover only a small part of Antarctica, the dramatic growth in this fraction is a clear sign of climate change affecting even the most remote places on Earth.
As temperatures continue to rise, scientists warn that more fundamental changes to the Antarctic landscape and ecosystem are likely unless carbon emissions are reduced. Prof. Andrew Shepherd from Northumbria University, UK, who was not involved in the study, explained that when he visited the Larsen Inlet, he saw green algae growing in areas covered by ice until the 1980s. He called it a "tipping point" for the region as plant life is now taking hold.
The spread of mosses since 2016 also coincides with a reduction in sea ice around Antarctica. Warmer, open seas may create wetter conditions, which favor plant growth. Mosses can grow on bare rock and help form soils, making it possible for other plants to establish themselves. However, this also raises the risk of non-native species arriving, potentially brought by eco-tourists, scientists, or other visitors.
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