Understanding the tolerance of Antarctic mosses to climate change

• Main Authors: Robinson, Sharon A., Clarke, L J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Research Online 2008
• Subjects: Antarctic • Bryum pseudotriquetrum • cell wall • Ceratodon purpureus • confocal microscopy • ozone depletion • Schistidium antarctici (Grimmia antarctici) • UV-screening compounds; Life Sciences; Physical Sciences and Mathematics; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Antarctic; Casey Station; Windmill Islands; Antarc*; Antarctica; Grimmia antarctici; Schistidium antarctici
• Online Access: https://ro.uow.edu.au/scipapers/140; https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1166&context=scipapers

Climate change is expected to affect the high latitudes first and most severely, rendering Antarctica one of the most significant baseline environments for the study of global climate change. Despite this, there have been few long-term studies of the response of Antarctic vegetation to climate change. The Windmill Islands region supports some of the most extensive and best developed vegetation on continental Antarctica, with lush, green mossbeds along many of the lakes and melt streams close to Casey station. Over the past 12 years my University of Wollongong colleagues and I have studied the mosses of this region to better understand how they are responding to climate change.