Antarctic mosses reveal high resolution records of local microclimates
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Date
2021-11-17
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Abstract
Introduction
Life in Antarctica is living in the extreme. To survive there, life must be resilient to sub-zero
temperatures, high levels of damaging ultraviolet and solar radiation, strong winds and waterlimiting
environments. In this harsh continent where water is locked up as snow and ice for most of
the year, mosses are the dominant plant form. Like many living things, these small plants rely on
liquid water to survive. The amount of potential water that is available to drive growth, distribution
and survival of Antarctic flora is strongly influenced by the changing climate, especially
temperature, precipitation and winds. However, meteorological climate records in most of the
biologically diverse regions in Antarctica are sparse and limited to a few decades or less. In these
areas, there is an increasing need for local climate proxies. We show that Antarctic moss species can
be used as living proxies for local water availability through preserved stable carbon isotopes
captured in cellulose.
Methods and Results
Using accelerator and isotope ratio mass spectrometry techniques, we obtained radiocarbon ages and
δ¹³C signatures along 26 cores of long shoots of moss collected from the Windmill Islands, East
Antarctica and South Shetland Islands in the Maritime Antarctic. AMS radiocarbon results showed
that these once living cores are up to 500 years old. The five moss species studied grew at different
rates; the slowest species grew at less than 1 mm/year while the fastest achieved 8 mm/year. These
moss cores provide a high-resolution record, at annual to decadal scales, of their microclimate. Our
results also reveal that growth patterns of these Antarctic plants are dependent on local moisture
environments. Trends in δ¹³C signatures indicate microclimates in these regions are drying.
Conclusion
This work suggests that mosses have considerable potential as climate proxies by providing a
temporal and spatial history of microclimate in Antarctica. Applying these measures will allow us to
determine which terrestrial sites are at risk of the negative impacts of climate change in order to
inform critical conservation efforts in a rapidly changing environment. © The Authors
Description
Keywords
Antarctica, Temperature zero K, Solar radiation, Water, Snow, Ice, Plants, Environment, Climates, Records management, Species diversity
Citation
Waterman, M., Branley-Alves, J., Casanova-Katny, A., Zúñiga, G., Hua, Q., & Robinson, S. A. (2021). Antarctic mosses reveal high resolution records of local microclimates. Paper presented to the 15th International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. ANSTO Sydney, Australia. November 15th – 19th. (pp. 29). Retrieved from: https://ams15sydney.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/AMS-15-Full-Program-and-Abstract-Book-R-1.pdf