The vegetation cover in the Antarctic Peninsula has increased more than tenfold in the last four decades, according to new research.
The Antarctic Peninsula, like many polar regions, is warming faster than the global average, and extreme heat events in Antarctica are becoming more common.
The British study of the Antarctic Peninsula
The new study which was conducted by the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire and the British Antarctic Survey, used satellite data to assess how much the Antarctic Peninsula is “greening” in response to climate change.
It found that the area covered by vegetation on the Peninsula has increased from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to almost 12 square kilometers by 2021.
Published in the magazine Nature Geosciencethe study also found that this green growth trend has accelerated by more than 30% in recent years (2016-2021) compared to the entire study period (1986-2021), expanding by over 400,000 square meters per year during this period.
In a previous studywhich examined core samples taken from moss-dominated ecosystems on the Antarctic Peninsula, the team found evidence that plant growth rates had increased significantly in recent decades.
This new study uses satellite imagery to confirm that a widespread greening trend is underway across the Antarctic Peninsula and that it is accelerating.
Plants and soil according to researchers on the Antarctic Peninsula
“The plants we find on the Antarctic Peninsula – mostly mosses – grow in perhaps the harshest conditions on Earth“, ha stated Dr. Thomas Roland, of the University of Exeter.
The description given by Dr Thomas Roland is quite singular and very far from the collective imagination of Antarctica in general: “The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock, with only a very small fraction colonized by plant life. But that very small fraction has grown dramatically, demonstrating that even this vast and isolated ‘desert’ is affected by anthropogenic climate change.”
The Dr Olly Bartlettfrom the University of Hertfordshire, added: “As these ecosystems consolidate – and the climate continues to warm – the extent of greenery is likely to increase.
Dr. Bartlett therefore talks about how there is no “land” in Antarctica, but almost only ice: “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 increases the risk of non-native and invasive species arriving, possibly carried by eco-tourists, scientists or other visitors to the continent.”
The researchers highlight the urgency of further research to establish the specific climate and environmental mechanisms that are driving the greening trend.
“The sensitivity of the vegetation of the Antarctic Peninsula to climate change is now clear and, with future anthropogenic warming, we may see fundamental changes in the biology and landscape of this iconic and vulnerable region“said Dr. Roland.
Dr Roland then added: “Our findings raise serious concerns about the environmental future of the Antarctic Peninsula and the continent as a whole. To protect Antarctica, we need to understand these changes and precisely identify what is causing them.”
Researchers are now investigating how recently deglaciated (ice-free) landscapes are colonized by plants and how this process might evolve into future.
But wasn’t the ice increasing in Antarctica?
The answer about the increase or decrease of ice is not so simple, because the increase or decrease of the latter can vary significantly from area to area of Antarctica, we must always never forget that Antarctica is a very vast continent and the Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost area.
So yes, while some areas of Antarctica are showing signs of increased ice, the overall situation is complex and varies from region to region. Sea ice and land ice behave in different ways, and there are contrasting trends between East and West Antarctica.
- East Antarctica: This vast region has actually recorded a slight increase in ice cover in some areas in recent decades, but the increase in sea ice is largely seasonal and does not compensate for the loss of ice that occurs in other parts of the continent; the increase in sea ice could be attributed to various factors, including changes in circumpolar winds and ocean currents, which push the ice away from the coasts, facilitating its surface extension.
- West Antarctica and Antarctic Peninsula: As mentioned above, we are observing a significant loss of land ice in these areas, in fact land ice (glaciers and ice caps) is melting rapidly, contributing to sea level rise; the Antarctic Peninsula, as described in the article, is warming rapidly, and the ice in this area is retreating, with effects such as the phenomenon of increased vegetation in some ice-free areas.
- Sea ice (or pack ice): The amount of sea ice around Antarctica has also shown fluctuations; for example, between 1979 and 2014, sea ice cover around Antarctica was increased slightlycontrary to what happened in the Arctic, where the ice was drastically reduced. However, in recent years, Antarctic sea ice has undergone a dramatic decline especially in 2017when it reached historic lows.
Conclusion
So, yes, some areas of East Antarctica have seen a slight increase in ice, while other areas, especially Western Antarctica and the Peninsula, they are losing ice at worrying rates and Antarctic ice dynamics are influenced by a combination of climatic factorsoceanic and atmospheric that create regional variations.
And what do you think of this situation? Write it in the comments.
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