Antarctica is rapidly "greening," and scientists explain why this trend is concerning. (photos)

Antarctica is widely known as a continent locked in eternal frost, covered by a thick layer of snow, and inhabited by penguins. However, it is quite likely that future generations will need to significantly reassess their perceptions.

The culprit is global warming, which is causing Antarctica to rapidly turn green. This is highlighted in a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Researchers analyzed satellite data from 1986 to 2021 and compared the area that was covered by green moss and other plants. It was found that this area expanded from 0.863 square kilometers to 11.947 square kilometers. While twelve square kilometers may not seem like a large figure, it is important to note that the rate of greening accelerated by 33% between 2016 and 2021.

"The speed of changes in such an isolated, highly vulnerable area is concerning," said the study's author, ecologist Thomas Roland from the University of Exeter (UK).

The study's authors note that currently, the continent's flora is primarily represented by mosses; however, their life cycle will enrich the rocky soil with nutrients, making it a favorable environment for some cold-resistant invasive species.

The issue of increasing biodiversity and the potential for invasive species to penetrate the continent is what worries scientists the most. The fact is that local species have survived there only due to their adaptation to extreme conditions. Their mitigation will create opportunities for more progressive species, which will simply displace endemics from their habitats and lead, if not to extinction, then to a significant reduction in population.

Notably, a similar situation has already occurred in Australia, where introduced cats led to the complete destruction of at least 27 local species. Furthermore, this has pushed around a hundred species of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians to the brink of extinction.

It is worth mentioning that Antarctica has not always been bound by ice. About 100 million years ago, during the mid-Cretaceous period, it was covered by forests, and its climate resembled a subtropical one. This made the continent a suitable habitat for a multitude of dinosaurs and various other species. Antarctica began its transformation into a frozen desert only about 34 million years ago, during the Eocene cooling.

As previously reported, the invasion of invasive species is not the only threat to endemics. For instance, in April, a dangerous strain of influenza was discovered on the continent, which could pose a risk to local birds.