Monitoring impacts of a changing climate on plant communities of Continental Antarctica

Abstract

To determine if climate change is impacting continental Antarctic plant communities we need to measure the growth rates of extremely slow growing organisms and relate this to changing climate. In addition, we need to develop new methodologies for measuring community change at very small scales. We are developing a monitoring system for East Antarctic plant communities using radiocarbon and stable isotope measurements and remote unmanned vehicles to assess physiological and spatial change in remote communities.