Vegetation on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased over tenfold since 1986, raising concerns about climate change’s impact on the fragile ecosystem.

The icy wilderness of Antarctica, once characterised almost entirely by snow, ice, and rock, is now rapidly transforming. New research reveals a dramatic increase in plant cover on the Antarctic Peninsula, with the green area expanding from less than one square kilometre in 1986 to almost 12km² by 2021. This “greening” phenomenon, driven by rising global temperatures, serves as a stark indicator of the climate crisis affecting even the most remote regions on Earth.

Led by researchers at the University of Exeter, the study examined satellite imagery from the past few decades and found that the rate of plant growth, particularly mosses, has surged, especially since 2016. The study suggests that as the Antarctic warms faster than the global average, the continent’s once pristine landscape is increasingly vulnerable to invasive species, potentially carried by tourists, scientists, or other visitors.

“The Antarctic landscape is still overwhelmingly dominated by snow, ice, and rock,” said Dr Thomas Roland, co-leader of the study. “But the small fraction colonised by plant life has grown dramatically, showing that even this vast and isolated wilderness is being impacted by human-caused climate change.”

One of the most alarming findings of the study was how rapidly life can colonise ice-free areas. Mosses are able to thrive in rocky terrain and could form the foundation of a new ecosystem, which could eventually lead to soil formation and, in time, support other plant species. This expansion of plant life could have profound implications for Antarctica’s ecosystem.

The growth of moss coincides with a significant reduction in sea ice around Antarctica, creating warmer, wetter conditions that encourage plant spread. The open seas may facilitate moisture necessary for moss growth, and the milder conditions could allow other vegetation to be established.

Professor Andrew Shepherd, from Northumbria University, who visited the region recently, noted his personal experience with the greening phenomenon. “When we landed on a beach that was buried beneath the Larsen Ice Shelf until its collapse in the 1980s, I was astonished to find a river flowing with green algae – a vivid sign of how quickly this new life takes hold,” he shared.

What was once a barren, frozen expanse has become a fragile new ecosystem. While mosses are the first to take hold, scientists warn that non-native species, accidentally introduced, could pose a major risk. As Dr Olly Bartlett from the University of Hertfordshire explains, “Antarctica’s soil is poor or nonexistent, but the increasing vegetation will add organic material and create soil. This opens the door to invasive species, potentially carried by visitors to the region.”

Already, research has found that the two native flowering plants of Antarctica, found on Signy Island north of the peninsula, are also spreading. There is a growing sense of urgency about how to manage this changing landscape, which is already on a fast trajectory of transformation.

This shift in Antarctica’s ecosystem mirrors trends seen across the polar regions. The Arctic has also experienced dramatic greening as a result of climate change, and in 2021, for the first time in recorded history, rain fell on Greenland’s ice cap rather than snow.

Despite these stark changes, scientists warn that this is only the beginning. Roland highlighted the potential for “fundamental changes” to the Antarctic’s biology and landscape. The research team’s findings are published in Nature Geoscience, marking the clearest evidence yet of global heating’s reach into the farthest corners of the Earth.

Moss growth, alien species, and melting ice caps – are all symptoms of a rapidly changing environment. The greening of Antarctica may be a vivid testament to our warming world, but it also signals a deeper, more concerning shift in one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet.