The bones of Livingston Island—history of plant succession in Antarctica

The bones found in the beaches of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island - Antarctica are testimonies of almost two hundred years ago when the area was full of seals and whales hunters. The remaining´s of that period are composed of complete skeletons and dispersed bones, most of them around the area called Southern Beach, which was surveyed in 2020 and 2023. The plant coverage of 33 whale bones was evaluated using a square of 20 x 20 cm, and species found were collected for identification. The soil surrounding five complete seal skeletons was studied, and its plant community evaluated. The whale bones were found colonized by 16 plant species, being Pertusaria sp. (lichen) the most frequent and Deschampsia antarctica (the Antarctic grass), Brachythecium austrosalebrosum and Ditrichum sp. (both mosses) are reported for the first time on this substrate. There were found 5 mosses, 12 lichens, and one flowering plant associated directly to seal bones and other associated with the soil in the surroundings of the skeletons. Plant succession on bones in Antarctica is also occurring and any movement of them caused by anthropic or other interferences can change the community entirely.