Why one of the most desolate places on Earth is the most important to conserve
Antarctica is the coldest desert on the planet: a seemingly bleak and empty landscape holding the key to the global climate.
The continent is exceptionally unique, consisting of a strange blend of high altitude, a barren landscape and extreme cold. Said extreme cold (with average winter temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius) has led to the formation of what is known as the ice sheet. This is an incredibly thick layer of ice that covers the vast majority of Antarctic terrain. It is estimated that 70% of the world’s fresh water is stored within this sheet.
There are very few organisms in Antarctica, most being marine organisms like the leopard seal or the emperor penguin. This is due to the ice sheet covering any soil otherwise available for land-based producers, preventing the growth of plants. Production in this ecosystem is therefore accomplished by phytoplankton and thus the community of organisms are all marine-based.
So why is it important to conserve a chunk of ice with nothing on it?
The answer lies within the ice sheet: all of that fresh water.
The Ocean’s currents drive the different climates of the world in a system that is known as thermohaline circulation — ‘thermo’ refers to water temperature and…
