Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate
Abstract Antarctica plays a central role in regulating global climatic and oceanographic patterns and is an integral part of global climate change discussions. The functioning of Antarctica's terrestrial ecosystems is dominated by poikilohydric cryptogams such as lichens, bryophytes, eukaryotic...
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crwiley:10.1002/wcc.810 2024-06-23T07:47:03+00:00 Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate Colesie, Claudia Walshaw, Charlotte V. Sancho, Leopoldo Garcia Davey, Matthew P. Gray, Andrew Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Natural Environment Research Council 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcc.810 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wcc.810 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/wcc.810 https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wcc.810 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ WIREs Climate Change volume 14, issue 1 ISSN 1757-7780 1757-7799 journal-article 2022 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.810 2024-06-13T04:23:44Z Abstract Antarctica plays a central role in regulating global climatic and oceanographic patterns and is an integral part of global climate change discussions. The functioning of Antarctica's terrestrial ecosystems is dominated by poikilohydric cryptogams such as lichens, bryophytes, eukaryotic algae, and cyanobacteria and there are only two native species of vascular plants. Antarctica's vegetation is highly adapted to the region's extreme conditions but, at the same time, it is potentially highly susceptible to climatic fluctuations. Biological responses to shifts in temperature, water availability, wind patterns, snow, and ice cover are complex, taxa‐specific and act on different temporal and spatial scales. In maritime Antarctica, where warming and mass loss of outlet glaciers have been mainly observed, the vegetation is expected to show increases in productivity, abundance, and cover. In continental Antarctica, observational and experimental evidence is still sparse, but it is pointing toward even drier and harsher conditions for survival. We need more information on what the observed and predicted changes in Antarctic vegetation are for different regions and ecosystems. This will inform us how environmental change and human impact will shape the future of these ecosystems, and whether the speed and magnitude of change have habitat‐specific effects and implications. Antarctica's unique ecosystems are changing and in this review, we describe the current situation, tools to measure, and evaluate change and how change is likely to look in the future. This article is categorized under: Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Observed Ecological Changes Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Evaluating Future Impacts of Climate Change Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Modeling Species and Community Interactions Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate Change Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Wiley Online Library Antarctic WIREs Climate Change 14 1 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
Abstract Antarctica plays a central role in regulating global climatic and oceanographic patterns and is an integral part of global climate change discussions. The functioning of Antarctica's terrestrial ecosystems is dominated by poikilohydric cryptogams such as lichens, bryophytes, eukaryotic algae, and cyanobacteria and there are only two native species of vascular plants. Antarctica's vegetation is highly adapted to the region's extreme conditions but, at the same time, it is potentially highly susceptible to climatic fluctuations. Biological responses to shifts in temperature, water availability, wind patterns, snow, and ice cover are complex, taxa‐specific and act on different temporal and spatial scales. In maritime Antarctica, where warming and mass loss of outlet glaciers have been mainly observed, the vegetation is expected to show increases in productivity, abundance, and cover. In continental Antarctica, observational and experimental evidence is still sparse, but it is pointing toward even drier and harsher conditions for survival. We need more information on what the observed and predicted changes in Antarctic vegetation are for different regions and ecosystems. This will inform us how environmental change and human impact will shape the future of these ecosystems, and whether the speed and magnitude of change have habitat‐specific effects and implications. Antarctica's unique ecosystems are changing and in this review, we describe the current situation, tools to measure, and evaluate change and how change is likely to look in the future. This article is categorized under: Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Observed Ecological Changes Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Evaluating Future Impacts of Climate Change Climate, Ecology, and Conservation > Modeling Species and Community Interactions Assessing Impacts of Climate Change > Observed Impacts of Climate Change |
author2 |
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Natural Environment Research Council |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Colesie, Claudia Walshaw, Charlotte V. Sancho, Leopoldo Garcia Davey, Matthew P. Gray, Andrew |
spellingShingle |
Colesie, Claudia Walshaw, Charlotte V. Sancho, Leopoldo Garcia Davey, Matthew P. Gray, Andrew Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
author_facet |
Colesie, Claudia Walshaw, Charlotte V. Sancho, Leopoldo Garcia Davey, Matthew P. Gray, Andrew |
author_sort |
Colesie, Claudia |
title |
Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
title_short |
Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
title_full |
Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
title_fullStr |
Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
title_full_unstemmed |
Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
title_sort |
antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcc.810 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wcc.810 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/wcc.810 https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wcc.810 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
WIREs Climate Change volume 14, issue 1 ISSN 1757-7780 1757-7799 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/wcc.810 |
container_title |
WIREs Climate Change |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1802650523374977024 |