Biological Soil Crusts of Antarctica

Abstract

For the purposes of this chapter, Antarctica will be defined as the main continent plus islands immediately adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula. Within this area, the terrestrial vegetation is predominantly composed of lichens, bryophytes, algae, and cyanobacteria. Only two species of phanerogams occur, Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica, and these are confined to the northwestern parts of the Antarctic Peninsula. Conditions seem, therefore, appropriate for the development of biological soil crusts, but the extreme desert conditions of continental Antarctica must be emphasized, and it should not be forgotten that only 0.8% of the area is ice-free, with the remainder being permanent ice or snow.