Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica
The small ice-free areas of Antarctica provide an essential habitat for most evident terrestrial biodiversity, as well as being disproportionately targeted by human activity. Visual detection of disturbance within these environments has become a useful tool for measuring areas affected by human impa...
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Cambridge University Press
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13456 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 |
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ftunivwaikato:oai:researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz:10289/13456 2024-01-21T10:00:20+01:00 Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica Brooks, Shaun T. Tejedo, Pablo O'Neill, Tanya Ann 2019 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13456 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 en eng Cambridge University Press Antarctic Science Brooks, S. T., Tejedo, P., & O’Neill, T. A. (2019). Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 31(6), 304–314. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 0954-1020 https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13456 doi:10.1017/S0954102019000440 1365-2079 © Antarctic Science Ltd 2019 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Physical Sciences Environmental Sciences Geography Physical Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences & Ecology Physical Geography Geology contamination footprint habitat non-native species soil wilderness ROSS SEA REGION SOILS TEMPERATURE PERMAFROST VEGETATION PATTERNS STATION HILLS LAND Journal Article 2019 ftunivwaikato https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 2023-12-26T18:25:43Z The small ice-free areas of Antarctica provide an essential habitat for most evident terrestrial biodiversity, as well as being disproportionately targeted by human activity. Visual detection of disturbance within these environments has become a useful tool for measuring areas affected by human impact, but questions remain as to what environmental consequences such disturbance actually has. To answer such questions, several factors must be considered, including the climate and biotic and abiotic characteristics. Although a body of research has established the consequences of disturbance at given locations, this paper was conceived in order to assess whether their findings could be generalized as a statement across the Antarctic continent. From a review of 31 studies within the Maritime Antarctic, Continental Antarctic and McMurdo Dry Valleys regions, we found that 83% confirmed impacts in areas of visible disturbance. Disturbance was found to modify the physical environment, consequently reducing habitat suitability as well as directly damaging biota. Visible disturbance was also associated with hydrocarbon and heavy metal contamination and non-native species establishment, reflecting the pressures from human activity in these sites. The results add significance to existing footprint measurements based on visual analysis, should aid on-the-ground appreciation of probable impacts in sites of disturbance and benefit environmental assessment processes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice McMurdo Dry Valleys permafrost Ross Sea The University of Waikato: Research Commons Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Antarctic Antarctic Science 31 6 304 314 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Waikato: Research Commons |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwaikato |
language |
English |
topic |
Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Physical Sciences Environmental Sciences Geography Physical Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences & Ecology Physical Geography Geology contamination footprint habitat non-native species soil wilderness ROSS SEA REGION SOILS TEMPERATURE PERMAFROST VEGETATION PATTERNS STATION HILLS LAND |
spellingShingle |
Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Physical Sciences Environmental Sciences Geography Physical Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences & Ecology Physical Geography Geology contamination footprint habitat non-native species soil wilderness ROSS SEA REGION SOILS TEMPERATURE PERMAFROST VEGETATION PATTERNS STATION HILLS LAND Brooks, Shaun T. Tejedo, Pablo O'Neill, Tanya Ann Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Physical Sciences Environmental Sciences Geography Physical Geosciences Multidisciplinary Environmental Sciences & Ecology Physical Geography Geology contamination footprint habitat non-native species soil wilderness ROSS SEA REGION SOILS TEMPERATURE PERMAFROST VEGETATION PATTERNS STATION HILLS LAND |
description |
The small ice-free areas of Antarctica provide an essential habitat for most evident terrestrial biodiversity, as well as being disproportionately targeted by human activity. Visual detection of disturbance within these environments has become a useful tool for measuring areas affected by human impact, but questions remain as to what environmental consequences such disturbance actually has. To answer such questions, several factors must be considered, including the climate and biotic and abiotic characteristics. Although a body of research has established the consequences of disturbance at given locations, this paper was conceived in order to assess whether their findings could be generalized as a statement across the Antarctic continent. From a review of 31 studies within the Maritime Antarctic, Continental Antarctic and McMurdo Dry Valleys regions, we found that 83% confirmed impacts in areas of visible disturbance. Disturbance was found to modify the physical environment, consequently reducing habitat suitability as well as directly damaging biota. Visible disturbance was also associated with hydrocarbon and heavy metal contamination and non-native species establishment, reflecting the pressures from human activity in these sites. The results add significance to existing footprint measurements based on visual analysis, should aid on-the-ground appreciation of probable impacts in sites of disturbance and benefit environmental assessment processes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brooks, Shaun T. Tejedo, Pablo O'Neill, Tanya Ann |
author_facet |
Brooks, Shaun T. Tejedo, Pablo O'Neill, Tanya Ann |
author_sort |
Brooks, Shaun T. |
title |
Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
title_short |
Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
title_full |
Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica |
title_sort |
insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in antarctica |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13456 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 |
geographic |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Ross Sea The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice McMurdo Dry Valleys permafrost Ross Sea |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica Ice McMurdo Dry Valleys permafrost Ross Sea |
op_relation |
Antarctic Science Brooks, S. T., Tejedo, P., & O’Neill, T. A. (2019). Insights on the environmental impacts associated with visible disturbance of ice-free ground in Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 31(6), 304–314. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 0954-1020 https://hdl.handle.net/10289/13456 doi:10.1017/S0954102019000440 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2019 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102019000440 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
31 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
304 |
op_container_end_page |
314 |
_version_ |
1788703058815877120 |