Grass growing in Antartica, WUHT!
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:44 pm
ANTARCTICA : GROWING GRASS !
Posted By: victo18
Date: Thursday, 13 January 2005, 11:30 a.m.
Grass flourishes in warmer Antarctic
Jonathan Leake, Science Editor
GRASS has become established in Antarctica for the first time, showing the continent is warming to temperatures unseen for 10,000 years.
Scientists have reported that broad areas of grass are now forming turf where there were once ice-sheets and glaciers.
Tufts have previously grown on patches of Antarctica in summer, but the scientists have now observed bigger areas surviving winter and spreading in the summer months. Some fear the change portends a much wider melting of the ice-cap that formed at least 20m years ago.
Pete Convey, an ecologist conducting research with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), said: “Grass has taken a grip. There are very rapid changes going on in the Antarctic’s climate, allowing grass to colonise areas that would once have been far too cold.”
Convey said many species of wildlife were at serious risk from such rapid change including penguins, seals, cold-water fish and giant sea spiders.
Posted By: victo18
Date: Thursday, 13 January 2005, 11:30 a.m.
Grass flourishes in warmer Antarctic
Jonathan Leake, Science Editor
GRASS has become established in Antarctica for the first time, showing the continent is warming to temperatures unseen for 10,000 years.
Scientists have reported that broad areas of grass are now forming turf where there were once ice-sheets and glaciers.
Tufts have previously grown on patches of Antarctica in summer, but the scientists have now observed bigger areas surviving winter and spreading in the summer months. Some fear the change portends a much wider melting of the ice-cap that formed at least 20m years ago.
Pete Convey, an ecologist conducting research with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), said: “Grass has taken a grip. There are very rapid changes going on in the Antarctic’s climate, allowing grass to colonise areas that would once have been far too cold.”
Convey said many species of wildlife were at serious risk from such rapid change including penguins, seals, cold-water fish and giant sea spiders.
