Casey: the Daintree of Antarctica – Australian Antarctic Program

Skip to content

Antarctica – valued, protected and understood

Menu

Photo: Arko Lucieer

Casey: the Daintree of Antarctica

The Australian Antarctic Territory is home to some of the rarest ecosystems on the planet, and the plant life at Casey is as good as it gets.

Mosses emerging from a spring melt Photo: Sharon Robinson

Why is Casey special?

Antarctica is at the edge of life on the planet. Less than 0.5% of the Antarctic continent is ice-free rock or soil. This leaves only tiny pockets of land available for plants to establish.

Casey has the most extensive and best developed plant communities in continental Antarctica. Scientists consider it the ‘Daintree’ of Antarctica. The largest plants are the mosses. They are like miniature old growth forests, growing incredibly slowly. A single moss shoot may be over 100 years old. Very few plants can cope with Antarctic conditions, which is why the Casey vegetation is so special.

Climate change has produced drying and warming in the east Antarctic region. The ozone hole has also elevated UVB radiation over the entire continent. Casey ecosystems can provide us with a valuable sentinel to measure the impact of climate change.

What plants are in the Casey region?

The plants at Casey are in three groups:

1. Mosses and liverworts

During evolution, mosses and liverworts（https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/plants/mosses-and-liverworts/） were among the first plants to inhabit the land. Unique characteristics enable them to survive drying and freezing. Although mosses are tough, they can only grow in the wetter areas around melt lakes and streams. Small moss patches also inhabit cracks in rocks and other sheltered areas where melt water is available. Melt of ice comes with the return of the sun in spring.

Mosses and liverworts together form the group of plants called bryophytes. There are three species of moss in the Casey area. Schistidium antarctici is a species found only in Antarctica. Bryum pseudotriquetrum and Ceratodon purpureus are species that are found across the world. One liverwort is also found at Casey, the thread-like Cephaloziella exililflora .