The study highlights the risk of the formation of new ecosystems in the region
Antarctica has become increasingly green, especially in the Antarctic Peninsula, the region closest to South America and whose surface area covered by vegetation has increased 10-fold in the last 40 years.
“The Antarctic landscape is still largely covered in snow, ice and rocks, with only a small fraction colonized by plant life. But this small part has grown significantly, showing that this vast and isolated ‘wild’ continent is being affected by climate change caused by humans,” says researcher Thomas Roland, from the University of Exeter, UK, after analyzing satellite images of the region.
This material reveals that, in 1986, the vegetation cover of the Antarctic Peninsula was less than one square kilometer, a number that increased to 12 square kilometers in 2021, with a significant increase from 2016 onwards.
Although mosses currently dominate local cover, research indicates that new ecosystems may become established and change the region’s environment as vegetative area increases.
“The soil in Antarctica is mostly poor or non-existent, but this increase in plant life will add organic matter and facilitate soil formation, which paves the way for the growth of other plants. This increases the risk of the arrival of non-native species and invasive, which can be carried by ecotourists, scientists or other visitors,” explains scientist Olly Bartlett, from the University of Hertfordshire, UK. .
Source: Terra
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