Abstract
There are very few long-term studies on Antarctic vegetation available, and very little is known of plant community changes over time in the Antarctic Peninsula area, an area itself subject to considerable change in recent decades. The vegetation of the South Bay area near the Spanish Station Juan Carlos I on Livingston island (South Shetland Islands) was extensively surveyed in the 1980s, and this study reports comparison of that survey with a new extensive survey carried out in the 2018/19 austral summer. A total of 38 species was found in the survey, an overall decrease in diversity, with eight previously recorded species not relocated including all representatives of the families Encalyptaceae (two species) and Hypnaceae (two species). One previously unrecorded species was found. Descriptions and discussion of each taxon recorded are provided, along with consideration of the possible causes of the changes observed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amesbury MJ, Roland TP, Royles J, Hodgson DA, Convey P, Griffiths H, Charman DJ (2017) Widespread biological response to rapid warming on the Antarctic Peninsula. Curr Biol 27:1616–1622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.034
Anderson LE (1954) Hoyer’s solution as a rapid permanent mounting medium for bryophytes. Bryologist 57:242–244
Bergstrom DM, Turner PAM, Scott J, Copson G, Shaw J (2005) Restricted plant species on sub-Antarctic Macquarie and Heard Islands. Polar Biol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-005-0085-2
Bokhorst S, Huiskes A, Convey P, van Bodegom PM, Aerts R (2008) Climate change effects on soil arthropod communities from the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic. Soil Biol Biochem 40:1547–1556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.01.017
Brabyn L, Beard C, Seppelt RD, Rudolph ED, Turk R, Green TGA (2006) Quantified vegetation change over 42 years at Cape Hallett, East Antarctica. Antarct Sci 18:561–572
Bracegirdle TJ, Krinner G, Tonelli M, Haumann FA, Naughten KA, Rackow T, Roach LA, Wainer I (2020) Twenty first century changes in Antarctic and Southern Ocean surface climate in CMIP6. Atmos Sci Lett. https://doi.org/10.1002/asl.984
Câmara PEAS, Soares AER, Hernriques DK, Peralta DF, Bordin J, Carvalho-Silva M, Stech M (2019) New insights into the species diversity of Bartramia Hedw. (Bryophyta) in Antarctica from a morpho-molecular approach. Antarct Sc 31:208–215
Cannone N, Dalle Fratte M, Convey P, Worland MR, Guglielmin M (2017) Ecology of moss banks on Signy Island (maritime Antarctic). Bot J Linn Soc 184:518–533
Ellis LT, Asthana AK, Gupta R, Nath V, Sahu V, Bednareck-Ochyra H, Ochyra R, Cykowska B, Calvo-Aranda S, Fischer E, Gabriel R, Gosrski P, Gremmen N, Hespanhol H, Kurbatova LE, Lewsis-Smith RI, Long DG, Bell D, Mogro F, Sergio C, Garcia CA, Stow S, Martins A, Smith VR, Vana J, Vanderpoorten A (2013a) New national and regional bryophyte records, 34. J Bryol 35:62–70
Ellis LT, Bednarek-Ochyra H, Ochyra R, Benjumea MJ, Saïs LV, Caparrós R, Lara F, Mazimpaka V, Dulin MV, Garilleti R, Gremmen N, Grundling PL, Heras P, Infante M, Huttunens S, Ignatov MS, Korvenpää T, Lebouvier M, Lewis-Smith RI, Lin SH, Yang JD, Linström A, Plášek V, Rosselló JA, Sawicki J, Van Rooy J, Smith VR (2013b) New national and regional bryophyte records, 35. J Bryol 345:129–139
Fedosov VE, Fedorova AV, Troitsky AV, Bobrova VK, Ignatov MS (2016) On the systematic position of Hymenoloma (bryophyta). Arctoa 25:119–130
Frenot Y, Chown SL, Whinam J, Selkirk PM, Convey P, Skotnicki M, Bergstrom DM (2005) Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications. Biol Rev 80:45–72
Glime JM (2017) Chapter 4 - Invertebrates. Bryophyte Ecology Volume 2: Bryological Interaction. 4. https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/bryophyte-ecology2/4. Accessed 23 Sep, 2018
Goffinet B, Buck WR, Shaw AJ (2009) Morphology, anatomy, and classification of the Bryophyta. In: Goffinet B, Shaw AJ (eds) Bryophyte biology, vol 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 55–138
Hedenäs L (2012) Global phylogeography in Sanionia uncinata (Amblystegiaceae: Bryophyta). Bot J Linn Soc 168:19–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2011.01189.x
Hogg ID, Cary SC, Convey P, Newsham KK, O’Donnell AG, Adams BJ, Aislabie J, Frati F, Stevens MI, Wall DH (2006) Biotic interactions in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems: Are they a factor? Soil Biol Bioch 38:3035–3040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.04.026
Ochyra R, Smith RIL, Bednarek-Ochyra H (2008) The illustrated moss flora of Antarctica. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Robinson SA, King DH, Bramley-Alves J, Waterman MJ, Ashcroft MB, Wasley J, Turnbull JD, Miller RE, Ryan-Colton E, Benny T, Mullany K, Clarke LJ, Barry LA, Hua Q (2018) Rapid change in East Antarctic terrestrial vegetation in response to regional drying. Nat Clim Change 8:879–884. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0280-0
Sancho LG, Pintado A, Green TGA (2019) Antarctic studies show Lichens to be excellent biomonitors of climate change. Diversity 11:42–56. https://doi.org/10.3390/d11030042
Sancho LG, Pintado A, Navarro F, Ramos M, Angel De Pablo M, Blanquer JM, Raggio J, Valladares F, Green TGA (2017) Recent warming and cooling in the Antarctic Peninsula region has rapid and large effects on lichen vegetation. Sci Rep. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05989-4
Sancho LG, Schulz F, Schroeter B, Kappen L (1999) Bryophyte and lichen flora of South Bay (Livingston Island: South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Nova Hedwigia 68:301–307
Sander M, Costa ES, Balbão TC, Carneiro APB, Santos CR (2009) Debris recorded in ice free areas of an Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA): Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Neotrop Biol Conserv 41:36–39
Schofield WB (1985) Introduction to Bryology. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York
Soechting U, Øvstedal O, Sancho L (2004) The lichens of Hurd Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica. Bibl Lichenol 88:607–658
Sollman P (2015) The genus Bryoerythrophyllum (Musci, Pottiaceae) in Antarctica. Polish Bot J 50:19–25
Turner J, Bindschadler R, Convey P, di Prisco G, Fahrbach E, Gutt J, Hodgson D, Mayewski P, Summerhayes C (eds) (2009) Antarctic climate change and the environment. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, Cambridge
Turner J, Lu H, White I, Phillips T, Hosking JS, Bracegirdle TJ, Marshall G, Mulvaney R, Deb P (2016) Absence of 21st century warming on Antarctic Peninsula consistent with natural variability. Nature 535:411–415
Acknowledgements
We thank the Brazilian Antarctic Program- PROANTAR, Brazilian Navy, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTIC) and National Advice for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and Congresswoman Jo Moraes. We also thank the Spanish Polar Committee and all the staff at Juan Carlos I station, also Joan Riba, Miguel Ojeda and Antonio Quesada. Collecting permits were issued by the Brazilian Environmental Authority (MMA). We also thank Peter Convey and William Buck for useful comments on this paper as well as an anonymous reviewer, and Dr. Eduardo Amorim for helping prepare the map. LGS research was supported by the Grant CTM2015-64728-C2-1-R (MINECO/FEDER, UE).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
All Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Câmara, P.E.A.S., Valente, D.V. & Sancho, L.G. Changes in the moss (Bryophyta) flora in the vicinity of the Spanish Juan Carlos I Station (Livingston island, Antarctica) over three decades. Polar Biol 43, 1745–1752 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02740-0
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02740-0