Deschampsia antarctica explained
Deschampsia antarctica, the Antarctic hair grass, is one of two flowering plants native to Antarctica, the other being Colobanthus quitensis (Antarctic pearlwort).
Ecology
Deschampsia antarctica mainly occurs on the South Orkney Islands, the South Shetland Islands, and along the western Antarctic Peninsula.[1] Deschampsia antartica distribution largely depends on the area's nutrient supply of the soil and its water distribution.[2] Deschampsia antarctica has been recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the southernmost flowering plant. In 1981, a specimen was found on the Antarctic Peninsula's Refuge Islands at a latitude of 68°21′S.[3] [4] Since 2009, both D. antarctica and C. quitensis have been spreading rapidly, which studies suggest has been the result of rising air temperatures and a reduction in the number of fur seals.[5]
In Antarctica, the plant can be found forming low clumps in wet, protected habitats.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Rudolph . E. D. . 1965 . Antarctic Lichens and Vascular Plants: Their Significance . BioScience . 15 . 4 . 285–287 . 10.2307/1293425 . 1293425 . 0006-3568. subscription .
- Androsiuk . Piotr . Chwedorzewska . Katarzyna J. . Dulska . Justyna . Milarska . Sylwia . Giełwanowska . Irena . 2020-12-16 . Retrotransposon-based genetic diversity of Deschampsia antarctica Desv. from King George Island (Maritime Antarctic) . Ecology and Evolution . 11 . 1 . 648–663 . 10.1002/ece3.7095 . 2045-7758. free . 7790655 .
- Book: Guinness Book of World Records 1997 . . 1996 . 0-9652383-0-X . Young . Mark C. . 42 . registration.
- Book: Wali . Mohan K. . The Environment: Science, Issues, and Solutions . Evrendilek . Fatih . Fennessy . M. Siobhan . July 2009 . CRC Press . 978-1-4200-0733-6 . 21 . 25 Sep 2016.
- Web site: 2022-02-14 . Flourishing plants show warming Antarctica undergoing 'major change' . 2022-02-14 . the Guardian . en.
