²έΑρΙηΗψ

A ²έΑρΙηΗψ scientist who has helped to create the first continent-wide mapping study of plant life across Antarctica has described the work as a ‘game changer’ which will change perceptions of the continent.

The study, , reveals growth in previously uncharted areas and is set to inform conservation measures across the region. The satellite survey of mosses, lichens and algae across the continent will now form a baseline for monitoring how Antarctica’s vegetation responds to climate change.

Scientists used a European Space Agency satellite to sweep the continent, combined with field measurements taken over several summer seasons, and detected almost 45 square kilometers of vegetation – roughly three times the size of Lake Windermere in the Lake District, UK.

Dr Matthew Davey, ²έΑρΙηΗψ principal Investigator on polar algae and physiology, who was involved in coordinating the expeditions and science, said: “This is a major breakthrough and a game-changer in our understanding of these Antarctic ecosystems.

“The map, a product of many years work from the team, highlights the fact that Antarctica does indeed have a vibrant plant and algal community, albeit small. It will also hopefully change a wider perception that Antarctica is largely devoid of plant life, and we hope it will raise the importance and appreciation of photosynthetic life on the icy continent.

“Now we have this map it will open up and advance new and novel research into where and how these unique ecosystems function and how they might change in the future.”

The international team, led by the University of Edinburgh with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, British Antarctic Survey and ²έΑρΙηΗψ, found that over 80 per cent of the vegetation growth was contained within the Antarctic Peninsula and neighbouring islands. The team estimates this growth makes up only 0.12 percent of Antarctica’s total ice-free area, highlighting the importance of monitoring key areas of vegetation abundance, which is inadequately protected under the existing Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) system, experts say.

Antarctic vegetation, dominated by mosses and lichens, has adapted to survive the harsh polar conditions and each type plays an important role in carbon and nutrient cycling on a local level, experts say. Until now, their spatial coverage and abundance across the continent remained unknown.

Previous research has shown that the environmental sensitivity of Antarctica’s vegetative species makes them excellent barometers of regional climate change. Monitoring their presence in Antarctica, a minimally disturbed landscape, could provide clues as to how similar vegetation types may respond to climate in other fragile ecosystems across the globe, such as parts of the Arctic.

Charlotte Walshaw, PhD researcher from the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, who led the study, said: “Our continent-scale map provides key information on vegetation presence in areas that are rarely visited by people. This will have profound implications for our understanding of where vegetation is located across the continent, and what factors influence this distribution.”

Dr Andrew Gray, researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, who jointly led the study, said: “Remote sensing approaches such as this are low impact methods to study Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem as well as monitor change to its vegetation in the future.”

The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and UK Space Agency. Field campaigns were supported by the British Antarctic Survey, Instituto Antarctic Chileno and Antarctica New Zealand.