The climate of Antarctica does not allow extensive vegetation. A combination of freezing temperatures, poor soil quality, lack of moisture, and lack of sunlight inhibit plant growth. As a result, plant life is limited to mostly mosses and liverworts.
The flora of the continent largely consists of lichens, bryophytes, algae, and fungi. Growth generally occurs in the summer, and only for a few weeks at most.
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| Lichens |
More than 200 species of lichens are known to exist in Antarctica.
There are more than 200 species of lichens and about 50 species of bryophytes, such as mosses. Seven hundred species of algae exist, most of which are phytoplankton. Multicolored snow algae and diatoms are especially abundant in the coastal regions during the summer. There are two species of flowering plants found in the Antarctic Peninsula: Deschampsia antarctica (Antarctic hair grass) and Colobanthus quitensis (Antarctic pearlwort).
Fauna
Invertebrate life includes microscopic mites like the Alaskozetes antarcticus, lice, nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers, krill and springtails.
midge (Belgian), Snow Petrel , penguins, blue whales, orcas, colossal squids and fur seals emperor penguin
Animals that live in the Arctic (either full time or seasonally) are adapted to extreme conditions. Many animals that overwinter in the Arctic have a coat that thickens and changes color to white during the winter as camouflage in the snow
Some animals hibernate during the cold season; they go into a very deep, sleep-like state in which their heartbeat slows down. These animals often hibernate in an underground burrow or pit. Some hibernators include skunks, chipmunks, and some bears (but these bears are not true hibernators, they go into a state that is closer to a normal deep sleep).
Many animals (like the Arctic tern) spend the summer months in the Arctic, but leave as the weather turns frigid and food becomes scarce (these animals return again the next summer, repeating this pattern year after year). This behavior is called migrating.
All of the Antarctic animals have adapted to life in extremely cold conditions. Some, like the whales, seals, and birds, have an insulating layer of fat to protect them from the cold. Others, like many fish and insects, have special chemicals in their blood (natural antifreeze proteins) that keep them from freezing. Many animals (like penguins and seals) have a compact body form and thick skin to help retain body heat. Birds also have waterproof plumage (feathers) and downy insulating feathers.
Some animals leave Antarctica during its horrendous coldest months, from June until August. Animals like the Humpback whale migrate to warmer waters to reproduce after eating huge amounts of krill in Antarctic waters. Many other animals (like the Emperor penguin) remain in the Antarctic year-round.
Threats for reproduction and the interdependence of the organisms
- Climate change
- Overharvesting – which is occurring for some species in some sectors of the Arctic
- Increased development in the Arctic
- Pollution
Climate change may have a profound impact on Arctic sea mammals and sea birds. Concerns for Arctic marine mammals and sea birds include:
• changes to their food base, with more southern species replacing many of the fat-rich Arctic species that they currently feed on
• more direct and indirect competition from species moving up from further south increased disease risks higher pollution loads due to increased run-off from rivers in industrialized areas further south
• greater impacts from human activity, including increased shipping, and increased development in oil, gas or, mining as well as tourism.
Polar Bears
Polar bears are intimately tied to the sea ice and an alteration to sea ice distribution or its character will affect them. Reduction in the sea ice will affect the availability of food, and in turn the distribution and the reproduction of polar bears.
Seals
Ice-living seals are particularly vulnerable to changes in the Arctic ice because they depend on the ice as a platform for giving birth and for resting, and some seals eat prey species that live on in the underside of sea ice.
Whales
The responses of whales to climate changes are somewhat less certain than those for ice-breeding seals and polar bears. However, it is likely that bowhead whales, belugas, and narwhales would be impacted negatively by predicted climate changes. Increased competition from other large baleen and toothed whales would likely be problematic for these Arctic specialists; should killer whales spread further north, this would be a serious issue for the slow-swimming Arctic whales if they did not have ice to retreat into.
Sea birds
Sea birds are likely to be influenced most by climatic change indirectly via changes in food availability. Species with narrow food or habitat requirements will be most sensitive. If climate change induces dramatic shifts in the distribution of macro zooplankton and small fish species that travelling in groups, sea bird breeding distribution patterns are likely to change. Changing patterns of precipitation could also affect sea birds quite dramatically. More frequent bouts of freezing rain, if they occur during nesting, could reduce reproductive success. Other complexities that could influence seabirds include changes to large-scale patterns of wind speed and direction, which could alter the cost of flight, particularly when migrating.
