Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation
The ecosystems of the western Antarctic Peninsula, experiencing amongst the most rapid trends of regional climate warming worldwide, are important “early warning” indicators for responses expected in more complex systems elsewhere. Central among responses attributed to this regional warming are wide...
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Norwegian Polar Institute
2011
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/1/Global_southern_limit.pdf https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3055/pdf |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:16278 2023-05-15T13:15:20+02:00 Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation Convey, Peter Hopkins, David W. Roberts, Stephen J. Tyler, Andrew N. 2011 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/1/Global_southern_limit.pdf https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3055/pdf en eng Norwegian Polar Institute https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/1/Global_southern_limit.pdf Convey, Peter orcid:0000-0001-8497-9903 Hopkins, David W.; Roberts, Stephen J. orcid:0000-0003-3407-9127 Tyler, Andrew N. 2011 Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation. Polar Research, 30, 8929. 10, pp. https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929 <https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929> cc_by_nc_4 CC-BY-NC Botany Ecology and Environment Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2011 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929 2023-02-04T19:30:26Z The ecosystems of the western Antarctic Peninsula, experiencing amongst the most rapid trends of regional climate warming worldwide, are important “early warning” indicators for responses expected in more complex systems elsewhere. Central among responses attributed to this regional warming are widely reported population and range expansions of the two native Antarctic flowering plants, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis. However, confirmation of the predictions of range expansion requires baseline knowledge of species distributions. We report a significant southwards and westwards extension of the known natural distributions of both plant species in this region, along with several range extensions in an unusual moss community, based on new survey work in a previously unexamined and un-named low altitude peninsula at 69º22.0’S 71º50.7’W in Lazarev Bay, north-west Alexander Island, southern Antarctic Peninsula. These plant species therefore have a significantly larger natural range in the Antarctic than previously thought. This site provides a potentially important monitoring location near the southern boundary of the region currently demonstrated to be under the influence of rapidly changing climate trends. Combined radiocarbon and lead isotope radiometric dating suggests that this location was most likely deglaciated sufficiently to allow peat to start accumulating towards the end of the 19th century, which we tentatively link to a phase of post-1870 climate amelioration. We conclude that the establishment of vegetation in this location is unlikely to be linked to the rapid regional warming trends recorded along the Antarctic Peninsula since the mid-20th century. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alexander Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Lazarev Bay Polar Research Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Alexander Island ENVELOPE(-69.895,-69.895,-71.287,-71.287) Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Lazarev ENVELOPE(12.917,12.917,-69.967,-69.967) Lazarev Bay ENVELOPE(-72.068,-72.068,-69.454,-69.454) The Antarctic Polar Research 30 1 8929 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
topic |
Botany Ecology and Environment |
spellingShingle |
Botany Ecology and Environment Convey, Peter Hopkins, David W. Roberts, Stephen J. Tyler, Andrew N. Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
topic_facet |
Botany Ecology and Environment |
description |
The ecosystems of the western Antarctic Peninsula, experiencing amongst the most rapid trends of regional climate warming worldwide, are important “early warning” indicators for responses expected in more complex systems elsewhere. Central among responses attributed to this regional warming are widely reported population and range expansions of the two native Antarctic flowering plants, Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis. However, confirmation of the predictions of range expansion requires baseline knowledge of species distributions. We report a significant southwards and westwards extension of the known natural distributions of both plant species in this region, along with several range extensions in an unusual moss community, based on new survey work in a previously unexamined and un-named low altitude peninsula at 69º22.0’S 71º50.7’W in Lazarev Bay, north-west Alexander Island, southern Antarctic Peninsula. These plant species therefore have a significantly larger natural range in the Antarctic than previously thought. This site provides a potentially important monitoring location near the southern boundary of the region currently demonstrated to be under the influence of rapidly changing climate trends. Combined radiocarbon and lead isotope radiometric dating suggests that this location was most likely deglaciated sufficiently to allow peat to start accumulating towards the end of the 19th century, which we tentatively link to a phase of post-1870 climate amelioration. We conclude that the establishment of vegetation in this location is unlikely to be linked to the rapid regional warming trends recorded along the Antarctic Peninsula since the mid-20th century. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Convey, Peter Hopkins, David W. Roberts, Stephen J. Tyler, Andrew N. |
author_facet |
Convey, Peter Hopkins, David W. Roberts, Stephen J. Tyler, Andrew N. |
author_sort |
Convey, Peter |
title |
Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
title_short |
Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
title_full |
Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
title_fullStr |
Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
title_sort |
global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation |
publisher |
Norwegian Polar Institute |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/1/Global_southern_limit.pdf https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/3055/pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-69.895,-69.895,-71.287,-71.287) ENVELOPE(12.917,12.917,-69.967,-69.967) ENVELOPE(-72.068,-72.068,-69.454,-69.454) |
geographic |
Alexander Island Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Lazarev Lazarev Bay The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Alexander Island Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Lazarev Lazarev Bay The Antarctic |
genre |
Alexander Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Lazarev Bay Polar Research |
genre_facet |
Alexander Island Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica Lazarev Bay Polar Research |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16278/1/Global_southern_limit.pdf Convey, Peter orcid:0000-0001-8497-9903 Hopkins, David W.; Roberts, Stephen J. orcid:0000-0003-3407-9127 Tyler, Andrew N. 2011 Global southern limit of flowering plants and moss peat accumulation. Polar Research, 30, 8929. 10, pp. https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929 <https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929> |
op_rights |
cc_by_nc_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v30i0.8929 |
container_title |
Polar Research |
container_volume |
30 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
8929 |
_version_ |
1766268082493325312 |