A new paper written by Environment Institute member Mark Stevens (also SA Museum), Catarina Magalhaes (University of Porto), S. Craig Cary (University of Waikato & University of Delaware), Becky Ball (Arizona State University), Bryan Storey (University of Canterbury), Diana Hall (Colorado State University), Roman Turk (University of Salzburg) and Ulrike Ruprecht (University of Salzburg) has recently been published in the journal PLoS One.

The area where the research was conducted. (Photo by Mark Stevens)

The paper, titled ‘At Limits of Life: Multidisciplinary Insights Reveal Environmental Constraints on Biotic Diversity in Continental Antarctica,’ furthers our knowledge about why life exists in such an inhospitable location. The study revealed that spatial heterogeneity (a mix of concentrations of multiple species filling its area) and past geological history is fundamental to understanding why certain life exists in Antarctica and where they are found.

Read the paper to find out more.

Read Mark Stevens guest blog post on Biodiversity Revolution to find out what he had to say about the paper.