Climate change makes Antarctica greener, raising concerns over ecosystems
When most people think of Antarctica, they picture a continent of ice. But a recent study reveals that climate change is causing parts of the continent to turn green in ways scientists hadn’t fully understood before.
“The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock, with only a tiny fraction colonized by plant life,” Thomas Roland, an environmental scientist from University of Exeter and lead author on the paper, said in a statement on the British Antarctic Survey website.
“But that tiny fraction has grown dramatically – showing that even this vast and isolated ‘wilderness’ is being affected by anthropogenic climate change.”
To conduct the study, researchers analyzed 35 years of satellite images to track how vegetation has changed over time. They found that the amount of plant life—mainly mosses—on the Antarctic Peninsula has grown significantly, expanding from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to nearly 12 square kilometers in 2021.
The data also showed that mosses spread most rapidly between 2016 and 2021, highlighting an acceleration in growth.
The research team said warming temperatures are the main driver of this change.
Mosses transformation of rocky landscapes
Mosses are hardy plants that can survive in harsh environments, growing on rocky surfaces that other plants struggle to thrive in. But as mosses spread over time, they build up soil that can go on and support plants like grass or flowers.
If the warming continues, there’s a chance that non-native or invasive plants could move in and disrupt the local environment, Olly Bartlett, a researcher from the University of Hertfordshire said.
“Soil in Antarctica is mostly poor or non-existent, but this increase in plant life will add organic matter, and facilitate soil formation – potentially paving the way for other plants to grow,” he said.
“This raises the risk of non-native and invasive species arriving, possibly carried by tourists, scientists or other visitors to the continent.”
Research needed to mitigate impacts of invasive plants
The research team said the fact that the greening is both occurring and accelerating warrants future research, especially to understand how quickly these changes are happening and what they could mean for the future of the continent.
They also stressed the need to find ways to protect the delicate ecosystems and stop non-native plants from moving in.
“Our findings raise serious concerns about the environmental future of the Antarctic Peninsula, and of the continent as a whole. In order to protect Antarctica, we must understand these changes and identify precisely what is causing them.”
Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Glacier melt in Arctic Canada exposes plants frozen under ice for 40,000 years, CBC News
Norway: Vegetation in Arctic Europe disturbed by mid-autumn thaw, The Independent Barents Observer
