(www.neomundo.com.ar/_SINC) tourists visiting Antarctica have seeds in their clothes and their bags and introduce, unintentionally, non-native plants in the best preserved ecosystem in the world.
According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) these organisms may pose a serious threat to the flora of the continent.
El researcher Steven l. Chown and colleagues at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa have identified the origin and destination of more than 2,360 seeds reached Antarctica between the year 2007 and 2008.
During this period, the first season of the International Polar year, visited the continent 33.054 tourists and 7.085 scientists and each person carried with it an average of 10 seeds.
“A thorough inspection of luggage: clothing, boots, tripods, rods, etc, would be enough to reduce this transfer of seeds”, explains to Chown, lead author of the study.
Change the HABITAT
Invasive species can alter the Habitat that they arrive and are one of the main causes of loss of biodiversity worldwide. Antarctica is no exception.
The threat to the conservation of its flora is a current problem but it will be growing as climate change progress in this inhospitable region.
Least RIGORS, greater survival
Researchers have calculated the possibility of non-native plants resistant to weather the cold in different parts of the continent. Due to the geographical distribution of visitors and to the climatic conditions, the western part of the Antarctic peninsula is the most susceptible.
Of fact the species Poa annua, a herb of the family of grasses and cereals, as it has adapted and established in this place. A sector where, according to predictions, global warming is going to promote the survival of this plant.
“It’s crucial that areas with a high risk of harboring new species are monitored and that, as soon as they are identified, they are removed” says Chown.
In addition, insofar as the tourists other chilly areas before reaching Antarctica, more than half of the seeds that bring belong to species adapted to the cold, so it can withstand extreme conditions well.
“Antarctica is the place least affected by human beings on the planet.” “Keep it this way, in the same way that one appreciates the great works of art, it is an important objective from the perspective of conservation,” concludes the researcher.
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