An unprecedented study revealed that the vegetation in Antarctica covers approximately 107,000 hectares, an area comparable to the size of the city of Berlin.
This mapping represents the first comprehensive analysis of the ice-free zones of the southernmost continent on the planet.
The Antarctic continent has a total area of 1.366 billion hectares.
The ice-free areas occupy 2.4 million hectares, less than 1% of the total territory.
Of these uncovered zones, about 5% have flora, according to the mapping carried out by the MapBiomas network based on satellite images.
The four types of vegetation in Antarctica
The study identified different vegetation formations that thrive on the icy continent:
- Lichens
- Mosses
- Terrestrial algae
- Grasses
These species primarily sprout on islands, coastal regions, and on the Antarctic Peninsula.
They are also found on mountain peaks in the continent’s interior, where conditions are extreme.
This flora grows in an environment where the average maximum temperatures in summer range between 1° and 3°C for the Antarctic islands.
In the interior, in the highest mountainous area, the averages are even worse: between -15° and -30°C, with minimums between -20° and -35°C.
A key study to monitor climate change
The study coordinator, Eliana Fonseca, explained that the mapping conducted “is crucial” for tracking the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic continent.
The ice-free areas are fundamental for the local fauna.
There, “during the summer, the offspring of the animal species that inhabit this environment (such as penguins) are born,” Fonseca stated.
“Nests are built in ice-free zones, so it is important to map them for better monitoring of the health of these animals,” the expert noted.
The map of vegetation in Antarctica provides information about the productivity of ecosystems.
In particular, this facilitates the monitoring of climate change and the most vulnerable areas of the continent.
Antarctica, a thermostat for the southern hemisphere
The importance of Antarctica for the global climate is fundamental.
It is there where the cold fronts that act in the southern hemisphere are formed. These systems influence the temperature and rainfall of the entire region.
“Due to its low temperatures and its extensive ice sheet, the continent acts as an important source of cold and dry air masses,” explained Fonseca.
These masses function as a thermostat and impact global temperatures, highlighted the study coordinator.
The mapping faced significant technical challenges. The lack of solar radiation during the winter months prevents identifying the ice-free areas outside of summer.
With the arrival of winter, all this vegetation in Antarctica dies, leaving only spores, seeds, and vegetative structures.
All of this, however, will sprout again the following summer in the same areas.
