Antarctic penguin response to habitat change as Earth's troposphere reaches 28C above preindustrial levels

• Main Authors: Ainley, David, Russell, Joellen, Jenouvrier, Stéphanie, Woehler, Eric, Lyver, Philip O'B., Fraser, William R., Kooyman, Gerald
• Other Authors: H.T. Harvey & Associates, Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: 28C warming; Ade´lie Penguin; Antarctica; climate change; climate modeling; Emperor Penguin; habitat optimum; sea ice; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Antarc*; Aptenodytes forsteri; Pygoscelis adeliae; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00527404

International audience We assess the response of pack ice penguins, Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Ade´ lie (Pygoscelis adeliae), to habitat variability and, then, by modeling habitat alterations, the qualitative changes to their populations, size and distribution, as Earth's average tropospheric temperature reaches 28C above preindustrial levels (ca. 1860), the benchmark set by the European Union in efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. First, we assessed models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) on penguin performance duplicating existing conditions in the Southern Ocean. We chose four models appropriate for gauging changes to penguin habitat: GFDL-CM2.1, GFDL-CM2.0, MIROC3.2(hi-res), and MRI-CGCM2.3.2a. Second, we analyzed the composited model ENSEMBLE to estimate the point of 28C warming (2025–2052) and the projected changes to sea ice coverage (extent, persistence, and concentration), sea ice thickness, wind speeds, precipitation, and air temperatures. Third, we considered studies of ancient colonies and sediment cores and some recent modeling, which indicate the (space/time) large/centennialscale penguin response to habitat limits of all ice or no ice. Then we considered results of statistical modeling at the temporal interannual-decadal scale in regard to penguin response over a continuum of rather complex, meso- to large-scale habitat conditions, some of which have opposing and others interacting effects. The ENSEMBLE meso/decadal-scale output projects a marked narrowing of penguins' zoogeographic range at the 28C point. Colonies north of 708 S are projected to decrease or disappear: ;50% of Emperor colonies (40% of breeding population) and ;75% of Ade´ lie colonies (70% of breeding population), but limited growth might occur south of 738 S. Net change would result largely from positive responses to increase in polynya persistence at high latitudes, overcome by decreases in pack ice cover at lower latitudes and, particularly for Emperors, ice ...