In recent years, some parts of Antarctica have literally boomed, which has many experts concerned. It seems very likely that the expansion of Antarctic plants is linked to climate change. The entire face of the continent may change in the near future, which will have dramatic effects.
Due to the harsh conditions, only two species of indigenous flowering plants live in Antarctica: Antarctic sweet wheat (Deschampsia antarctica) and semi-double cloves (Colobanthus cutensis).
Scientists from the University of Insubria in Italy published a report last year StadyThe two plants were studied between 2009 and 2019 on Signy Island, which is part of Antarctica and an important nesting site for many seabirds. The observations were then compared with surveys conducted over the past 50 years.
The results showed that the number of two plants has increased significantly in the past ten years. Vegetation has grown in the past decade as much as it has in the past 50 years overall. Furthermore, this growth rate is closely related to the rising air temperature observed in Antarctica since the summer of 2012.
Although Antarctica appears to be covered in flowers due to climate change, researchers have also discovered that the island has seen a significant decline in the number of seals, which regularly trample the plants and thus affect their growth.
As temperatures continue to rise, this trend is expected to continue. In March 2022, East Antarctica was hit by an unprecedented heat wave. According to the latest research, this unusual heat wave has become 2 degrees Celsius warmer due to climate change. It was so hot that researchers working in the Arctic wore shorts and ditched their shirts to sunbathe.
By the end of the century, heat waves in Antarctica may increase by another 5-6 degrees Celsius as a result of climate change, which could lead to devastating changes on the continent.
