High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna.
Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a permanent human population and poor accessibility to necessary datasets. Yet Antarctic ecosystems face increasi...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a7179d8e77524fa98473a4f4d7a56cba 2023-05-15T13:58:55+02:00 High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. Luis R Pertierra Kevin A Hughes Greta C Vega Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 https://doaj.org/article/a7179d8e77524fa98473a4f4d7a56cba EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5235374?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 https://doaj.org/article/a7179d8e77524fa98473a4f4d7a56cba PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 1, p e0168280 (2017) Medicine R Science Q article 2017 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 2022-12-31T12:34:30Z Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a permanent human population and poor accessibility to necessary datasets. Yet Antarctic ecosystems face increasing cumulative impacts from the expanding tourism industry and national Antarctic operator activities, the management of which could be improved with footprint assessment tools. Moreover, Antarctic ecosystem dynamics could be modelled to incorporate human drivers. Here we present the first model of estimated human footprint across predominantly ice-free areas of Antarctica. To facilitate integration into global models, the Antarctic model was created using methodologies applied elsewhere with land use, density and accessibility features incorporated. Results showed that human pressure is clustered predominantly in the Antarctic Peninsula, southern Victoria Land and several areas of East Antarctica. To demonstrate the practical application of the footprint model, it was used to investigate the potential threat to Antarctica's avifauna by local human activities. Relative footprint values were recorded for all 204 of Antarctica's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Results indicated that formal protection of avifauna under the Antarctic Treaty System has been unsystematic and is lacking for penguin and flying bird species in some of the IBAs most vulnerable to human activity and impact. More generally, it is hoped that use of this human footprint model may help Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting policy makers in their decision making concerning avifauna protection and other issues including cumulative impacts, environmental monitoring, non-native species and terrestrial area protection. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Victoria Land Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica The Antarctic Victoria Land PLOS ONE 12 1 e0168280 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Luis R Pertierra Kevin A Hughes Greta C Vega Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a permanent human population and poor accessibility to necessary datasets. Yet Antarctic ecosystems face increasing cumulative impacts from the expanding tourism industry and national Antarctic operator activities, the management of which could be improved with footprint assessment tools. Moreover, Antarctic ecosystem dynamics could be modelled to incorporate human drivers. Here we present the first model of estimated human footprint across predominantly ice-free areas of Antarctica. To facilitate integration into global models, the Antarctic model was created using methodologies applied elsewhere with land use, density and accessibility features incorporated. Results showed that human pressure is clustered predominantly in the Antarctic Peninsula, southern Victoria Land and several areas of East Antarctica. To demonstrate the practical application of the footprint model, it was used to investigate the potential threat to Antarctica's avifauna by local human activities. Relative footprint values were recorded for all 204 of Antarctica's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Results indicated that formal protection of avifauna under the Antarctic Treaty System has been unsystematic and is lacking for penguin and flying bird species in some of the IBAs most vulnerable to human activity and impact. More generally, it is hoped that use of this human footprint model may help Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting policy makers in their decision making concerning avifauna protection and other issues including cumulative impacts, environmental monitoring, non-native species and terrestrial area protection. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Luis R Pertierra Kevin A Hughes Greta C Vega Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga |
author_facet |
Luis R Pertierra Kevin A Hughes Greta C Vega Miguel Á Olalla-Tárraga |
author_sort |
Luis R Pertierra |
title |
High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
title_short |
High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
title_full |
High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
title_fullStr |
High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
title_full_unstemmed |
High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna. |
title_sort |
high resolution spatial mapping of human footprint across antarctica and its implications for the strategic conservation of avifauna. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 https://doaj.org/article/a7179d8e77524fa98473a4f4d7a56cba |
geographic |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica The Antarctic Victoria Land |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula East Antarctica The Antarctic Victoria Land |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica East Antarctica SCAR Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research Victoria Land |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 12, Iss 1, p e0168280 (2017) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5235374?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 https://doaj.org/article/a7179d8e77524fa98473a4f4d7a56cba |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0168280 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
e0168280 |
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