Virtual Posters

The aimed of this study is to investigate the relationship of the plant community’s distribution and the solar radiation potential incident in ice-free areas from Stranger Point, Maritime Antarctic. The vegetation map was obtained by supervised classification (Maxver) from Quickbird 2 image with the following thematic categories: Community of mosses, community of mosses and grasses, the community of Lichens, Community of mosses and Lichens, Mixes community, Soil, Snow, Water, Rookeries and Shadow. The solar radiation module Solar Analyst implemented in ArcGIS 9.3, was used in the study. Calculated for the summer months (December to March), the map showing the mean radiation potential distribution for the area in kw m-2. The relationship between the solar radiation potential with the vegetation distribution in the area was study through maps algebra. The totaled areas with vegetation are 30.85%, with communities of mosses and grasses to more widely distribute. The mixed communities are favored by the largest amount of radiation, found at most local plans and increased sun exposure. The lowest averages of radiation are occupied by mosses, in areas protected from wind and turned to the south or with higher slopes. Because of this remains more humid, becoming preferred places to bryophytes. The distribution of vegetation has close links with the various components of the landscape, such as soil, geomorphology, drainage and rookeries influence areas, and the solar radiation is less interference in the distribution of vegetation Antarctic.