Quantifying the propagule load associated with the construction of an Antarctic research station

• Main Authors: Lee, J.E., Chown, S.L.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Antarctic Science Ltd 2010
• Subjects: dispersal; invasion; Halley VI; propagule pressure; risk assessment; vector; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/120026

Although the impacts of biological invasions are widely appreciated, a bias exists in research effort to post dispersal processes because of the difficulties of measuring propagule pressure. Here we quantify the propagule pressure associated with the construction of a research station in Antarctica. Based on quantitative assessment of different classes of cargo, we predict that over 5000 seeds will be entrained during the period of building the station. Seeds from 34 taxa were identified, including known invasive species. Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology