Proliferation of Plants in Antarctica Underscores Impact of Global Warming
Recent photographic records have identified the proliferation of two angiosperms native to Antarctica, the Antarctic hairy grass ( Deschampsia antarctica ) and the Antarctic pear ( Colobanthus quitensis ), throughout the territory of the frozen continent. In addition to this, researchers at the University of Washington recorded a significant increase in the local average temperature. The factors highlight the impact of global warming on the continent.
Mariana Cabral de Oliveira, professor at USP’s Institute of Biosciences, explains the reasons why the proliferation of plants on the frozen continent is rare and analyzes the impacts of global warming on the biodiversity of the frozen continent.
Lack of plant variety
According to the expert, the extreme climate is mainly responsible for the lack of plant variety on the continent, as photosynthetic organisms need sunlight to produce their own food. She explains that the territory is another determining factor, as only 2% of the continent is not covered by ice or snow, limiting the amount of substrates necessary for the survival of organisms.
According to the professor, despite the cold climate, Antarctica is also home to other photosynthetic organisms different from those observed in everyday life, in gardens and forests, which are called vascular plants or angiosperms.
“It is a very inhospitable environment, but, in addition to these two angiosperms, there are other organisms in Antarctica, such as a few hundred species of mosses, which are non-vascular and smaller plants, and there are also so-called lichens, which carry out photosynthesis, but are not normally called plants. Finally, there are also algae that occupy the terrestrial environment, so, in addition to these two angiosperms, which are plants that have flowers, there are a few hundred more species of photosynthetic organisms, ranging from algae and lichens to mosses”, he states.
Impacts of Global Warming
On March 18, 2022, researchers from the University of Washington, in the USA, recorded a temperature increase of around 39ºC above average in Dome C, Antarctic Plateau, known as the coldest place on Earth. The place, which has an average temperature of -50ºC, reached the mark of 11.5°C below zero, leading the chief scientist of the climate analysis organization Berkeley Earth, Robert Rohde, to say that: “A new world record for the highest excess temperature above normal ever measured at an established weather station.”
For Mariana, the proliferation of plants, together with climate change, is a sign of the effect that global warming has on the continent. She also warns of the risk that climate change, in coastal and marine environments, can bring to the local biota, through the involuntary introduction of new species to Antarctic ecosystems, which can upset the natural balance.
“There are a series of recommendations to prevent the transfer of exotic organisms, many of which arrive there accidentally and do not survive the winter period. But, as the environment warms, it will become more favorable for the introduction of these species”, he informs.
According to the professor, the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, defines a series of regulations for researchers and tourists on the continent, with the aim of avoiding contamination of biodiversity. She explains that the clothing used on expeditions needs to be free of seeds, lichens, mosses or any other organisms that can reproduce in the Antarctic environment.
“Tourists and researchers who visit the site need to follow a series of recommendations to avoid unintentionally carrying exotic species on their uniform or shoes. We have to take extreme care in this matter of introducing any organism into the Antarctic environment, because this can have very serious consequences. serious problems for the community and local biota”, he says.
Ilana Wainer, professor of Physical Oceanography at USP’s Oceanographic Institute, believes that reversing the effects of climate change in Antarctica is a difficult task, but believes that some measures can reduce impacts on the continent. For her, greenhouse gases emitted by human activity are mainly responsible for climate change phenomena.
Investment in scientific research, according to her, is essential so that phenomena can be studied and understood so that, finally, strategies for mitigating their impacts can be discussed. The expert also reinforces that the global effort is important for this attempt to reverse the effects, which, although complicated, can reduce climate effects in the long term.
“So, it is certainly possible to reduce these impacts, especially the emission of greenhouse gases, and this depends on global commitment. The rapid and effective implementation of these mitigation and adaptation strategies and timing are a crucial factor, as many of these climate-related processes are already happening and could become irreversible if not addressed immediately”, he concludes.