Journal Article
Alterations of cryptogam communities over one decade of time on King George Island, Antarctica
Rodrigo Paidano Alves; Bettina Weber; Cybelli G. G. Barbosa; Adam Thomas Clark; Filipe de Carvalho Victoria; Margéli Pereira de Albuquerque; Antonio Batista Pereira
Polar Biology · Vol. 49, Issue 3 · 2026
Abstract
Antarctica’s ice-free areas are mainly colonized by cryptogamic communities, which are known to be sensitive indicators of environmental change. Despite numerous monitoring-related studies, published research on medium-term cryptogam cover changes is limited. With this study, we aimed to investigate compositional and structural changes in cryptogamic communities over a decade near the Polish Arctowski Antarctic Station. Here, a phytosociological approach was used to assess species diversity, coverage, and ecological relevance during the 2012–2013 field campaign, with results being compared to a previously published survey conducted in 2003–2004. Climatic trends were assessed to identify potential environmental drivers for the observed vegetation changes. Results revealed lower moss richness and lower ecological relevance based on coverage and frequency, particularly among cushion-forming taxa such as Andreaea gainii and Syntrichia princeps . In contrast, lichen richness increased, with species such as Usnea aurantiacoatra increasing in ecological importance, while U. antarctica declined. These species-specific trends suggest that traits such as moisture tolerance, growth form, and substrate preference influence the capacity of cryptogams to respond to changing conditions. Climatic data indicate no significant changes in temperature, relative humidity, or precipitation (2003–2013), while the long-term record showed weak trends (1990–2020). Therefore, medium-term climatic data did not support a direct attribution of the observed vegetation changes to climate variables. These findings demonstrate that successional processes and local site conditions can be associated with measurable ecological restructuring in Antarctic vegetation. By providing high-resolution floristic and ecological data, this study establishes a baseline for future monitoring, using cryptogams as indicators of environmental change.