Antarctic flora
Antarctic flora is characterized by its remarkable adaptations to one of the planet's most extreme environments. The continent is home to only two flowering plants: Antarctic hairgrass (Colobanthus quitensis) and a small pearlwort (Deschampsia antarctica), both of which thrive primarily on the Antarctic Peninsula. These plants exhibit growth primarily during the austral summer months, with hairgrass forming dense mats and pearlwort creating cushion-like clusters. Additionally, the flora includes a variety of primitive plants such as lichens, mosses, fungi, algae, and diatoms. Lichens, known for their unique symbiotic relationships between algae and fungi, can survive in harsh conditions and grow exceedingly slowly. Mosses are less resilient and show minimal growth, often leaving permanent impressions when disturbed. Algae contribute vibrant color to the landscape, particularly in summer, while microscopic fungi are also present in milder areas. The harsh climate poses challenges to decomposition, allowing some organic material to remain preserved for centuries. Understanding Antarctic flora provides insight into these unique ecosystems and their resilience in the face of extreme conditions.
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Antarctic flora
Categories: Ecosystems; world regions
The Antarctic continent has never had a native or permanent population of humans. In 1998 the United States, Russia, Belgium, Australia, and several other countries signed one of an ongoing series of treaties to preserve Antarctica. The continent is used for peaceful international endeavors such as scientific research and ecotourism.
Terrestrial Flora
There are only two types of flowering plants in Antarctica, a grass and a small pearlwort (Deschampsia antarctica). These are restricted to the more temperate Antarctic Peninsula. Antarctic hairgrass (Colobanthus quitensis) forms dense mats and grows fairly rapidly in the austral summer (December, January, and February). At the end of summer, the hairgrass’s nutrients move underground, and the leaves die. Pearlwort forms cushion-shaped clusters and grows only 0.08 to 0.25 inch (2 to 6 millimeters) per year.
Numerous species of primitive plants, such as lichens, mosses, fungi, algae, and diatoms, live in Antarctica. Lichens are made up of an alga and a fungus in a symbiotic (interdependent) relationship. They can use water in the form of vapor, liquid, snow, or ice. Lichens grow as little as 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) every one hundred years, and some patches may be more than five thousand years old. Mosses are not as hardy as lichens and also grow slowly; a boot print in a moss carpet may be visible for years. Fungi are found in the more temperate peninsula, and most are microscopic.
Algae grow in Antarctic lakes, runoff near bird colonies, moist soil, and snow fields. During the summer, algae form spectacular red, yellow, or green patches on the snow. Bacteria are found in lakes, meltwater, and soils. As elsewhere on the earth, bacteria play a role in decomposition. Because of the extreme conditions, they are not always as efficient in Antarctica as they are in warmer climates, and carcasses may lie preserved for hundreds of years.
Bibliography
Moss, Sanford. Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988. A study of the Antarctic ecology and environment. Includes bibliography, glossary, and excellent illustrations.
Øvstedal, D. O., and R. I. Lewis Smith. Lichens of Antarctica and South Georgia: A Guide to Their Identification and Ecology. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. Part of the series Studies in Polar Research. Includes plates, maps, and bibliography.
Pyne, Steven J. The Ice: A Journey to Antarctica. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998. A scientific study of life in Antarctica, covering the minimal plant life in the context of biology, geography, geology, and geophysics.