The continent of Antarctica is turning green so ‘dramatically’ that its entire future is in question, it’s been warned.
The Antarctic peninsula is warming faster than the global average, with extreme heat events happening more often, meaning the amount of vegetation there has ballooned.
Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire and the British Antarctic Survey used satellite data to assess how much the Antarctic Peninsula has been ‘greening’ in response to climate change.
They found the amount of vegetation cover is more than 10 times larger than four decades ago, exploding from less than one square kilometre in 1986 to almost 12 square kilometres in 2021.
Satellite images confirm these findings, showing that the amount of plant life on the peninsula has increased, and its spread is accelerating.
The findings, published in the Nature Geoscience journal, concludes with a stark warning about the future of the continent.
Dr Thomas Roland, from the University of Exeter, said: ‘The sensitivity of the Antarctic Peninsula’s vegetation to climate change is now clear and, under future anthropogenic warming, we could see fundamental changes to the biology and landscape of this iconic and vulnerable region.
‘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.’
Not only is the Antarctic Peninsula getting greener, with native plants spreading over time, but there are fears that new species of plant life are becoming more common.
It’s feared new invasive species could create a foothold on the peninsula after potentially being carried over by eco-tourists, scientists, or other visitors.
Researchers say more studies are ‘urgently’ needed to establish the specific climate and environmental factors which are causing the ‘greening’ to pick up speed.
Dr Roland added: ‘The plants we find on the Antarctic Peninsula – mostly mosses – grow in perhaps the harshest conditions on Earth.
‘The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock, with only a tiny fraction colonised by plant life.
‘But that tiny fraction has grown dramatically – showing that even this vast and isolated “wilderness” is being affected by anthropogenic climate change.’
Dr Olly Bartlett from the University of Hertfordshire added: ‘As these ecosystems become more established – and the climate continues to warm – it’s likely that the extent of greening will increase.
‘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.
‘This raises the risk of non-native and invasive species arriving, possibly carried by eco-tourists, scientists or other visitors to the continent.’
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