A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
Risk of plant invasion in Antarctica: science to anticipate, prevent, and educate
The PRISMA project integrates experimental ecology, socio-ecological valuation, and advanced modeling to assess and prevent the arrival of exotic species in one of the planet's most fragile ecosystems.
Part of the “Research Rings in Specific Thematic Areas 2025” projects funded by the National Agency for Research and Development of Chile (ANID)
Plants in Antarctica: Life at the Extreme
In the scarce ice-free patches of Antarctica, plant life manages to persist in extreme conditions, clinging to exposed rock and soil.
These communities, dominated by mosses, lichens, and only two species of vascular plants, make up the southernmost terrestrial ecosystems on the planet.
Despite their apparent simplicity, they are highly specialized and extraordinarily fragile systems, increasingly threatened today by climate change and human activity.
Understanding and anticipating these risks is at the core of the PRISMA project, which seeks to assess the invasion potential of non-native species and their implications for the conservation of these unique ecosystems.
Recent news
Antarctic science present at the transectorial meeting of the UNE project
The academy, the public and private sectors, exchanged ideas to connect the research of the University of Talca with the needs of the local community.
Poster presented at SCAR Open Science Conference
“The Antarctic seed microbiome of the invasive Poa annua in global context: evidence of multi-origin assembly and environmental filtering”, se
“Chile had a notable presence at the SCAR Open Science Conference in Norway”
The national delegation, led by the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH), along with countless researchers, had an outstanding participation.
