There is always greener antarctica and this is cause for concern for scientists. In recent years, new areas of vegetation have been appearing in parts of Antarctica where none existed before. The increasing expansion of plant life in the South Pole appears to be another consequence of human-caused climate change, and may even indicate that the frozen continent has reached an alarming “tipping point.”
Due to harsh temperature conditions lThere are only two native vascular plants in Antarctica: antarctic grassDeschampsia antarctica) and Antarctic pearl (Colobanthus prettynsis).
Last year, scientists from the University of Insubria (Italy) published a study focusing on the status of these two plant species between 2009 and 2019 on Signy Island, a small subantarctic island in the Orkney Islands of South Antarctica. This island area is an important nesting area for various seabirds.
After comparing the surface area covered by these plants with other studies done over the previous 50 years, they discovered that the two plant populations have increased rapidly over the past 10 years. Actually, Plant density has increased as much in the last decade as in the previous 50 years.
Researchers also note that this growth rate direct relationship with the warming trend Air temperatures in Antarctica starting in the summer of 2012.
Although climate change seems to be an important factor in the spread of both plants, researchers point out that there has also been a serious decrease in the number of seals on the island, which crush the plants and limit their growth.
As temperatures continue to rise, Experts expect this trend to continue. In March 2022, East Antarctica experienced the largest heatwave ever recorded. Recent research has confirmed that this unprecedented heatwave has increased temperatures by 2°C due to climate change. It was so hot that researchers working in the area wore shorts and some even took off their shirts to sunbathe, according to the Washington Post.
And the situation will get worse. By the end of this century, Temperatures in Antarctica may rise another 5 to 6 degrees As a result of the climate crisis that will cause devastating changes on the continent.
As the rise of plant life on Signy Island shows, Antarctica is changing rapidly as a result of human activities and may soon reach critical tipping point.
They claim that what was observed on the Antarctic island could be: the beginning of what would happen across much of this continent In the coming years due to global warming
“The novelty of this isn’t the idea that something grows faster. We believe we are just starting to see what happens. This is almost a radical change or a turning point“Peter Convey, one of the authors of the British Antarctic Survey plant study, told New Scientist in 2022.
Reference work at this link.
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