<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=08DJQL_0w87hcMz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=08DJQL_0w87hcMz00" width="762" height="459" >Antarctica is known as the land of ice and snow. But new research shows part of the continent is literally turning green.According to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, vegetation cover on the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of mainland Antarctica, has increased more than tenfold in the past four decades.The study – by the universities of Exeter and Hertfordshire, and the British Antarctic Survey – used satellite data to assess how much the Antarctic Peninsula has been "greening" in response to climate change.Researchers found that the area of vegetation cover across the peninsula increased from less than one square kilometer in 1986 to almost 12 square kilometers by 2021.The study also found this greening trend accelerated by over 30% in recent years (2016-2021) relative to the full study period (1986-2021) – expanding by over 400,000 square meters per year in this period."The landscape is still almost entirely dominated by snow, ice and rock, with only a tiny fraction colonized by plant life," Dr Thomas Roland, from the University of Exeter, said in a statement. "But that tiny fraction has grown dramatically – showing that even this vast and isolated 'wilderness' is being affected by anthropogenic climate change."According to the study, the Antarctic Peninsula is warming at a rate that exceeds the global average, with extreme heat events becoming increasingly frequent in the region. The research suggests that the extent of greening in Antarctica will likely continue to increase, as emerging ecosystems grow and become more established, and the climate warms."Soil in Antarctica is mostly poor or non-existent, but this increase in plant life will add organic matter, and facilitate soil formation – potentially paving the way for other plants to grow," said Dr. Olly Bartlett, from the University of Hertfordshire. "This raises the risk of non-native and invasive species arriving, possibly carried by tourists, scientists or other visitors to the continent."The study findings emphasize the need for further research to establish the specific mechanisms that are driving the "greening" trend and ultimately changing the biology and landscape of this iconic and vulnerable region."Our findings raise serious concerns about the environmental future of the Antarctic Peninsula, and of the continent as a whole. In order to protect Antarctica, we must understand these changes and identify precisely what is causing them," said Dr. Roland.</div></body>

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Antarctica is turning green at an alarming rate

Antarctica is known as the land of ice and snow. But new research shows part of the continent is literally turning green. According to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, vegetation cover on the Antarctic Peninsula, the northernmost part of mainland Antarctica, has increased more than tenfold in the past four decades.