Antarctic grass thrives in a changing climate

12:09 PM Mon 11 Apr 2011 GMT

'Antarctic Hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica)' British Antarctic Survey &copy

One plant species that grows in Antarctica appears to be thriving according to a team of UK scientists. Antarctic Hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica) is more effective at absorbing organic nitrogen from the soil than the mosses that it lives alongside. This finding has implications for understanding how the nitrogen cycle works and is published this week in the first issue of the journal Nature Climate Change - part of the Nature series. Samples were collected from the ice-free areas around British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) Signy Research Station in the sub-Antarctic. Lead author Dr Paul Hill from Bangor University said, 'We think ...

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by British Antarctic Survey