Plants in Antarctica
Freezing temperatures, short growing seasons and desert-like droughts aren’t an environment most plants can tolerate. But a few hardy survivors thrive in these extreme conditions, marvelously adapting to the Antarctic environment. Don’t expect a lush rainforest (you may be 90 million years too late for that), but you’ll still be surprised at how botanically diverse this region is! Read on and learn about the survival strategies of Antarctica’s iconic plant life.
How Did Plants Get to Antarctica?
Around 180 million years ago, the future Antarctic continent split from Gondwana, and started to drift southward. The lush vegetation and plant life covering the ancient supercontinent continued to grow on the southbound continent fragment until the climate changed and the permanent ice sheet formed around 34 to 35 million years ago. Many species weren’t able to cope with these extreme conditions and eventually disappeared. In rocky areas (e.g. on the Western Antarctic Peninsula) you can find fossils of these long-gone plants, a stark reminder that the entire continent of Antarctica used to be once a lush rainforest, featuring vegetation such as the southern beech. You can still find this tree species today in parts of South America, New Zealand and Australia. Visiting Antarctica today, you find only the hardiest of survivors left on the continent, able to withstand the extremely cold temperatures.
Vascular Plants in Antarctica
Vascular plants in general aren’t the best at surviving cold climates. Their tubes transport nutrients from the roots to other parts of the plant and its cells are susceptible to freezing in extreme cold temperatures, causing destruction to the plant from the inside. Antarctica’s plants are masters of efficient photosynthesis with increased metabolisms. These plants live on less sunlight and feature well-adapted roots that take hold in the smallest crevices and only a thin layer of soil.
Only two species of vascular plants grow in the region, Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort (Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis), which are commonly found on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands and parts of the western Antarctic Peninsula. And cold weather is not the only challenge for these plants. They also have to withstand pesky penguin colonies and elephant seals trampling over them each season.
Flowers in Antarctica
If you’ve traveled the Arctic, you may remember beautiful summers of blooming tundra with an array of over 100 species of flowering plants found across incredible landscapes. Antarctica features more modest vegetation and only two flowering plants: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. Avoiding the harsh and inhospitable climate of the continent’s interior, these flowering plants grow in areas with relatively mild winters, such as the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and surrounding islands such as South Georgia, South Shetland Islands and Signy Island.
Antarctic Hair Grass
Dormant during the winter, the onset of the austral summer with melting snow and rising temperatures provide the ideal conditions for Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia Antarctica). It grows predominantly around the Antarctic Peninsula’s coastal regions and close-by islands. It’s the southernmost hair grass species and its deep root system allows Antarctic hair grass to absorb water and nutrients, while anchoring firmly in its barren environment. High winds, droughts and a very short growing season aren’t an obstacle for this plant to survive. With no insects for pollination at hand, Antarctic hair grass self-pollinates and additionally relies on the wind to do the job. Being an attractive nesting material for kelp gulls, the birds help spread the plant material across the region. It takes only a thin layer of soil for seeds to land on to start a new cycle.
Climate change over past decades promoted new plant growth in previously unsuitable areas. Thanks to rising global temperatures, Antarctica has warmed by around one degree Celsius over the last 50 years. New plants have been sprouting, increasing its habitat range. Global warming has also released more nutrients from the soil (such as nitrogen), resulting in a more rapid plant growth.
Antarctic Pearlwort
Thriving in similar habitats as Antarctic hair grass, Antarctic pearlwort (Colobanthus guitensis) is a cushion plant, featuring yellow flower heads when blooming. You can also find Antarctic pearlwort on the South American continent, in areas like the southern Andes. Just as Antarctic hair grass, pearlwort relies on self- and wind pollination. Its root-based microbiome consisting of fungi and bacteria may aid in the plant’s tolerance of very low temperatures.
Antarctic Mosses & Liverworts
Common in the coastal maritime regions of Antarctica, there are over 100 species of mosses and around 30 species of liverworts. Bryophytes, as non-vascular plants are collectively called, grow low and thrive where meltwater collects. Ceratodon purpureus, a very sturdy moss species, grows even as far south as 84°30’ at Mount Kyffin, defying the incredible dryness and low temperatures of the continent’s interior. With water being locked in the glaciers and ice for around two thirds of the year, mosses get only around 20 to 105 days to moisturize with meltwater. To cope, they are able to nearly completely dry out and rehydrate as soon as they regain access to water.
Other Types of Antarctic Plant Life
Over 700 species of lichens, fungi and algae call Antarctica their home, growing in lakes, soil, snow, bedrock and the ocean. Phytoplankton (a microscopic marine algae) is a crucial foundation of the Antarctic ecosystem and food web of the Southern Ocean. Lichen, a complex symbiotic partnership of fungi and algae, are one of the most widespread organisms in Antarctica. The fungal part of lichens provides nutrients while the algae part supplies energy via photosynthesis. From its appearance you may easily mistake lichens for mosses (bryophytes), but only the latter are categorized as plants. Lichens are the perfect organism to cope with the most inhospitable parts of Antarctica such as the McMurdo Dry Valleys. They can survive extreme cold, long periods of drought and stay dormant until conditions improve.
Alien Plant Life in Antarctica
The introduction of non-native species dates back to the heydays of polar exploration and the beginning of human activity in the Antarctic region. Whether intentionally or as accidental stowaways, invasive species travelled to Antarctica and the subantarctic islands aboard whaling or expedition ships, though only a few were able to adapt and survive in the harsh climate. South Georgia Island, which features mild winters, currently hosts 15 species of non-native plants. On our cruises, we take all necessary measures (such as cleaning shoes, equipment and backpacks) before our landings to avoid such introductions into the pristine Antarctic region through human activities.
The future of Antarctica's plants
Rising temperatures in the Antarctic due to climate change has Antarctic pearlwort and hair grass thriving like never before. Growth rates observed on Signy Island from the 1960s to 2009 were steady, until they accelerated dramatically between 2009 and 2019. It’s not only the warmer summers promoting growth, but also the decreasing fur seal population (likely because of unfavorable sea conditions and a food shortage) known to trample the plants. While this is good news for Antarctic hair grass and pearlwort, slower growing species such as mosses and lichens may not be able to compete, which poses a threat to the delicate ecosystem of Antarctica.
FAQs
What plants grow in Antarctica?
Native plants of Antarctica are mostly lower plant groups such as mosses, fungi, liverworts and Antarctic lichens, with only two species of flowering plant: Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort. Plants are mostly found in areas with milder winters and more precipitation, such as the Antarctic Peninsula, coastal regions and subantarctic islands.
What is the largest plant in Antarctica?
The largest plant growing in Antarctica is Antarctic hair grass (Deschampsia Antarctica), reaching a height of up to 5 cm (ca. 2 inches).
What kinds of plants and animals live in Antarctica?
Plant life in Antarctica features two species of vascular plants (Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort, both flowering plant species) and other plant species such as lichens, mosses, algae, microscopic organisms and many fungi. You can find more than 235 animal species on the Antarctic continent and the surrounding ocean.
How have plants adapted to life in Antarctica?
Antarctic plants are well adapted to survive in the harsh climate and cold temperatures. Antarctic plant species also have to adapt to the dry climate of Antarctica. To cope, they increase their metabolic rates, feature longer lifecycles and are more efficient at photosynthesis than other plants. Freezing temperatures on the continent also mean the insects that usually pollinate plants aren’t around. Antarctica plants rely on other ways to reproduce. Species such as Antarctic hair grass and Antarctic pearlwort use self-pollination, wind-pollination and dispersion of plant seeds by seabirds.