How are the Climate, Flora and Fauna in Antarctica?

The Antarctica It is a semicircular land mass that is located in the extreme south of the planet and is considered the sixth continent. It is about 4,500 kilometers in diameter and is surrounded by the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Most of this continent is covered with an ice sheet and constitutes a polar desert characterized by low rainfall, its high altitude, temperatures very low and a dry and frozen soil with few nutrients. These adverse climatic conditions hinder the development of the fauna and the flora and human settlements.

Climate of Antarctica

Antarctica is the most windy and cold of the planet, with wind gusts of between 100 and 200 km / h and an average temperature of -50 ºC. It receives a very low level of precipitation, which varies according to the geographical area and is usually in the form of snow. Due to its extension and particular characteristics, the climate of Antarctica differs according to the geographical area.

Flora of Antarctica

Due to the hostile climate and low level of rainfall, the flora in Antarctica it is practically non-existent. Most of the continent is a frozen desert, so the permanent ice sheet that covers the ground prevents the proliferation of flora in this place. The plant species that inhabit Antarctica are usually found in the area of ​​the peninsula or in coastal areas.

The antarctic grass and the Antarctic carnation are the only two plants that flourish in Antarctica. In addition, there are species of mosses, lichens, terrestrial algae and phytoplankton.

Fauna of Antarctica

Due to its icy climate, the terrestrial fauna is scarce in Antarctica and only consists of a few species of invertebrates like mites and a single insect: the belgica antarctica (a species of flightless mosquito). However, there are a large number of individuals of marine species such as mammals, birds and fish.

In the seas that surround Antarctica are inhabited by sea leopards, sea lions, right whales, blue whales, humpback whales, seals and large numbers of fish such as ocellated icefish, Antarctic cod, Antarctic imp, nototenia, and flashlights. There is also echinodermslike starfish and sea suns; mollusks, such as the colossal squid, sea snails, and the Antarctic octopus; Y crustaceanssuch as krill, crab, and Antarctic shrimp.

The birds that inhabit Antarctica are penguins, albatrosses, petrels, the kelp gull, the Antarctic tern, and the Antarctic skipjack. Some of the penguin species that live on the Antarctic continent are the emperor penguin, the chinstrap penguin, the Adelie penguin, and the gentoo penguin. They are birds that build colony settlements on the Antarctic soil during the stage of reproduction, incubation of eggs and development of young.

Human settlements in Antarctica

In Antarctica there are bases of different nationalities where they live human communities, permanently or during the summer, and that carry out scientific research. Many of them are on the islands and on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Some of the most populated bases in Antarctica are the McMurdo base in the United States, the Marambio base in Argentina, the Rothera base in the United Kingdom and the Amundsen-Scott base in the United States.

The international relations among the countries based in Antarctica are regulated by the Antarctic Treaty, which establishes the demilitarization of the area and protocols for the conservation of the natural environment of this continent.

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