In a recent publication by Amesbury et al. it has been found that biological activity at three sites on the Antarctic Peninsula has increased significantly in the last 50 years. The results, based on moss growth measurements dating back 150 years, indicate a response to recent climate change, identified through temperature records at the sites.
The authors suggest fundamental and widespread changes can be expected in the Antarctic terrestrial biosphere, with future warming leading to an Antarctic greening which would parallel that observed in the Arctic.
Matthew J. Amesbury, Thomas P. Roland, Jessica Royles, Dominic A. Hodgson, Peter Convey, Howard Griffiths, Dan J. Charman, “Widespread Biological Response to Rapid Warming on the Antarctic Peninsula”, Current Biology, 27, 2017.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.04.034