Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica
Abstract The speed with which tracks form as a result of trampling on exposed ground surfaces in Antarctica was investigated in the McMurdo Sound and Dry Valleys regions, by a simple treading experiment. Distinct tracks formed with fewer than 20 foot passes — as measured by stone cover, surface soil...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247400014935 2024-03-03T08:37:40+00:00 Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica Campbell, I. B. Claridge, G. G. C. Balks, M. R. 1998 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400014935 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400014935 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 34, issue 188, page 15-24 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 1998 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400014935 2024-02-08T08:45:05Z Abstract The speed with which tracks form as a result of trampling on exposed ground surfaces in Antarctica was investigated in the McMurdo Sound and Dry Valleys regions, by a simple treading experiment. Distinct tracks formed with fewer than 20 foot passes — as measured by stone cover, surface soil exposure, and track width — and they continued to develop with increasing traffic levels. Track development was rapid and most obvious on sandy gravel soils with a pebbly desert pavement, but slower and less distinct on soils with an extensive cover of surface boulders. The persistence of human impact from ground disturbances, which occurred up to 30 years previously, when pits were dug during field science investigations, was assessed using a range of previously defined criteria. Recently disturbed sites, where some action had been taken to restore the site immediately after disturbance, showed the least overall impact. Impacts persisted longer at sites where no restoration had been undertaken, but the remaining impact varied with factors such as exposure to wind and the age of the land surface. These results demonstrate the fragility of Antarctic soil surfaces and the terrestrial environment, as well as the long time-scales for recovery of Antarctic ground-surface disturbances. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Sound Polar Record Cambridge University Press Antarctic McMurdo Sound Polar Record 34 188 15 24 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Campbell, I. B. Claridge, G. G. C. Balks, M. R. Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
Abstract The speed with which tracks form as a result of trampling on exposed ground surfaces in Antarctica was investigated in the McMurdo Sound and Dry Valleys regions, by a simple treading experiment. Distinct tracks formed with fewer than 20 foot passes — as measured by stone cover, surface soil exposure, and track width — and they continued to develop with increasing traffic levels. Track development was rapid and most obvious on sandy gravel soils with a pebbly desert pavement, but slower and less distinct on soils with an extensive cover of surface boulders. The persistence of human impact from ground disturbances, which occurred up to 30 years previously, when pits were dug during field science investigations, was assessed using a range of previously defined criteria. Recently disturbed sites, where some action had been taken to restore the site immediately after disturbance, showed the least overall impact. Impacts persisted longer at sites where no restoration had been undertaken, but the remaining impact varied with factors such as exposure to wind and the age of the land surface. These results demonstrate the fragility of Antarctic soil surfaces and the terrestrial environment, as well as the long time-scales for recovery of Antarctic ground-surface disturbances. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Campbell, I. B. Claridge, G. G. C. Balks, M. R. |
author_facet |
Campbell, I. B. Claridge, G. G. C. Balks, M. R. |
author_sort |
Campbell, I. B. |
title |
Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
title_short |
Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
title_full |
Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica |
title_sort |
short- and long-term impacts of human disturbances on snow-free surfaces in antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1998 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400014935 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247400014935 |
geographic |
Antarctic McMurdo Sound |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic McMurdo Sound |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Sound Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Sound Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 34, issue 188, page 15-24 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247400014935 |
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Polar Record |
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34 |
container_issue |
188 |
container_start_page |
15 |
op_container_end_page |
24 |
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1792500571311177728 |