THE’Antarcticathe continent of ice, it’s changing color.
Over the last 40 years, its green surface has increased tenfold. Yes, you read that right: the white expanse of ice and snow that covers the South Pole is now dotted with green patches of vegetation, especially mosseswhich are gaining ground. What at first glance might seem like an insignificant detail is actually a sign of the impact of climate change even in the most remote corners of the planet.
According to the study “Sustained greening of the Antarctic Peninsula observed from satellites”, published on Nature Geoscience and conducted by a team of researchers fromUniversity of Exetervegetation in Antarctica dropped from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to almost 12 square kilometers in 2021. And the trend has been accelerating in recent years, meaning the situation is worsening faster than expected. But what does it really mean for the frozen continent and the rest of the planet?
The green metamorphosis of the South Pole
The study led by Thomas Rolandtogether with his team of researchers, has carefully monitored the evolution of the landscape in the Antarctic Peninsula using satellite images. Between 1986 and 2021, the areas of land uncovered by ice on which vegetation has taken root increased significantly. In particular, the expansion has been more evident in recent years, from 2016 to 2021, when there was a annual growth of over 424 square kilometers of greeningwell above the average of 317 square kilometers over the past 40 years.
What grows in Antarctica? Mosses and lichens. These plants are among the most resilient on the planet, capable of surviving in conditions that would put any other form of plant life to the test. These organisms find fertile ground in coastal areas where, thanks to increasingly mild temperatures, they are able to grow and reproduce at unprecedented rates.
And here lies the key to change. “The Antarctic landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock“, explains Thomas Roland. However, “the small fraction colonized by plant life has grown dramatically, demonstrating that even this vast and isolated region is affected by human-induced climate change.”
How global warming is greening Antarctica
Antarctica is one of the regions of the planet that is warming most rapidly. According to the NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), the white continent is losing more and more ice surface. Last southern winter, the South Pole recorded one of the worst extents of sea ice, with 17.2 million square kilometers, 1.6 million less than the historical average.
But in addition to the reduction of ice cover, increasingly higher temperatures also have another effect: they favor the development of vegetation. In 2022, for example, Antarctica experienced an unprecedented heat wave, with temperatures 38.5°C higher than the average for the period. This means that areas of the continent that were once inaccessible to plant life are now becoming a breeding ground for mosses and lichens.
The future of vegetation in Antarctica
And that’s not all. In addition to growing moss and lichen, rising temperatures could pave the way for non-native plant species, a phenomenon that could radically alter the Antarctic ecosystem. Second Olly Bartlettfrom the University of Hertfordshire, the creation of new soil thanks to the accumulation of organic matter by these plants could allow the arrival of invasive species, transported by tourists, scientists or other human activities to the continent.
And, we know, the introduction of non-native species can lead to significant ecological imbalancesthreatening native species and altering the fragile balance of the Antarctic environment.
