Research/Project ResultsPolar Ice Cap Biome:Antarctic Peninsula,AntarcticaPage 3 |
Biotic Site Description: Plant Data |
| Very
few plants grow on the mainland of the Antarctic. The main
vegetative cover is made up of lichens of different species. In
the image above, the orange, white and charcoal bits of
"paint" on the rock are really lichens. Lichens are
actually a combination of algae and fungi living together to help each
other out. The algae photosynthesizes to produce food for the
fungus. The fungus provides a supportive "home" for the
algae. These "species" are the first pioneer organisms
of succession that colonize barren landscapes. They are very
tolerant of changing moisture conditions, changes in light, and low
nutrient levels. They are NOT tolerant of air pollution, dying
quickly if it exists. As such, they are indicator organisms of air
pollution.
Aside from lichens, there are very few other plants existing on the mainland. This means that animals must get their food from the ocean, instead of from the land. Consequently, the terrestrial animals on this continent are all well adapted to feeding in the ocean. In the ocean, the vegetation is phytoplancton, small floating photosynthetic plants. This is really the base of the food chain for all the animals, those on the land as well as the fish and whales in the ocean. There are no visible weeds in the bays. Further north, in Chile there is kelp growing on the ocean bottom, but it was not seen in the Antarctic. |
These birds (black headed gulls?) fly great distances to find food in the ocean. The sparce vegetation on the land does not support many significant food chains.
Click the image of the gulls to move to the next page
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