<
https://theconversation.com/from-microbes-to-mammals-we-tracked-the-rapid-rise-of-new-ecosystems-as-glaciers-retreat-and-ice-sheets-melt-235687>
"As global temperatures inch upwards year after year, the world’s glaciers
retreat. These rivers of ice and the even larger ice sheets which cover
Greenland and Antarctica are melting – and the melt is speeding up.
Glaciers and ice sheets have only a few species which can live on them, from
ice worms to snow fleas and snow algae. When the ice melts, these species have
to retreat with them.
But what happens to the areas the glaciers leave behind? Does life move in?
Our international team of researchers has spent the last decade investigating
what happens to the newly uncovered ground as glaciers retreat further up
mountain ranges. We tracked what’s happening at 46 retreating glaciers: from
the Himalayas to the Andes, from the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to as far
south as New Zealand, and even tropical glaciers in Mexico.
What our new research has found is life quickly moves to colonise these new
habitats, from microorganisms to hardy lichens and mosses, to pioneer species
such as grasses. More plants arrive – and then, following them, come the
animals. Over time, we’ve watched as new ecosystems emerged."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
