Hostname: page-component-cc8bf7c57-8cnds Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-11T21:10:50.978Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Environmental management of a scientific field camp in Maritime Antarctica: reconciling research impacts with conservation goals in remote ice-free areas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2013

Luis R. Pertierra ,
Kevin A. Hughes ,
Javier Benayas ,
Ana Justel  and
Antonio Quesada
Luis R. Pertierra
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Kevin A. Hughes
Affiliation:
British Antarctic Survey, NERC, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
Javier Benayas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Ana Justel
Affiliation:
Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Antonio Quesada*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
*
*corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Currently, a substantial proportion of Antarctic research is carried out through deployment of field camps, but little detailed information on the running of these facilities is often available. The remoteness of camps and the fragility of local Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems make the running of sustainable, low impact field science and logistics in ice-free areas a challenge for environmental managers. In this study we examined the environmental management at the Spanish camp within Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) No. 126 Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Firstly, the input of materials and generation of pollution associated with the camp during a ten year period of operation was quantified. Examination of greenhouse gas emissions shows a mean of 14 t CO2 equivalent per researcher associated with transportation of people to the site, plus 44 t CO2 equivalent per researcher, associated with transportation of cargo to the field site. Secondly, the cumulative trampling footprint across Byers Peninsula and associated local impacts were recorded. Results showed the pattern of human movement within the ASPA and how activities concentrated around the field camp site. At the same time every effort was taken to ensure scientific outputs from research activities within the ASPA were maximized. Practical recommendations on operational logistics are discussed to minimize environmental impacts and optimize scientific benefits.

Keywords

carbon footprintimpact assessmentscienceSouth Shetland Islandsterrestrial ecosystems
Type
Research Articles
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 25 , Issue 2: Byers Peninsula – A New Reference Site For The Maritime Antarctic , April 2013 , pp. 307 - 317
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amelung, B.Lamers, M. 2007. Estimating the greenhouse gas emissions from Antarctic tourism. Tourism in Marine Environments, 4, 121–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ATCM (Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting). 2011. Management Plan for Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 126 Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. Measure 4, Report of the Thirty-fourth Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/aca/nsf01151/aca2_spa126.pdf.Google Scholar
Ayres, E., Nkem, J.N., Wall, D.H., Adams, B.J., Barrett, J.E., Broos, E.J., Parsons, A.N., Powers, L.E., Simmons, B.L.Virginia, R.A. 2008. Effects of human trampling on populations of soil fauna in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Conservation Biology, 22, 1544–1551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barbosa, A., Demas, E., Benzal, J., Diaz, J., Motas, M., Jerez, S., Pertierra, L.R., Benayas, J., Justel, A., Lauzurica, P., Garcia-Peña, F.J.Serrano, T. 2013. Pollution and physiological variability in gentoo penguins at two rookeries with different levels of human visitation. Antarctic Science, 25, 10.1017/S0954102012000739.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bastmeijer, C.J.Roura, R. 2007. Environmental impact assessment in Antarctica. In Bastmeijer, C.J.&Koivurova, T.,eds. Theory and practice of transboundary environmental impact assessment. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff, 175–219.Google Scholar
Benayas, J., Pertierra, L.R., Tejedo, P., Lara, F., Bermudez, O., Hughes, K.A.Quesada, A. 2013. Review: scientific research trends within ASPA No. 126 Byers Peninsula. Antarctic Science, 25, 10.1017/S0954102012001058.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burton, H.van Den Hoff, J. 2002. Humans and the southern elephant seal. Mirounga leonine. Australian Mammalogy, 24, 127–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cabrerizo, A., Dachs, J., Barceló, D.Jones, K.C. 2012. Influence of organic matter content and human activities on the occurrence of organic pollutants in Antarctic soils, lichens, grass, and mosses. Environmental Science & Technology, 46, 1396–1405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Campbell, I.B., Claridge, G.G.C.Balks, M.R. 1998. Short and long-term impacts of human disturbance on snow-free surfaces in Antarctica. Polar Record, 34, 15–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, A., Barnes, D.K.A.Hodgson, D.A. 2005. How isolated is Antarctica? Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 20, 1–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
CEP (Committee For Environmental Protection). 2011. Non-native species manual. Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, 28 pp. http://ats.aq/documents/atcm34/ww/atcm34_ww004_e.pdf.Google Scholar
COMNAP (Council Of Managers of Antarctic National Programs). 2012. List of Antarctic facilities. https://www.comnap.aq/Members/Shared%20Documents/Antarctic_Facilities_List_1April2012.xls.Google Scholar
Connor, M.A. 2008. Wastewater treatment in Antarctica. Polar Record, 44, 165–171.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Convey, P. 2008. Non-native species in Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater environments: presence, sources, impacts and predictions. In Rogan-Finnemore, M.,ed. Non-native species in the Antarctic Proceedings. Christchurch: University of Canterbury, 97–130.Google Scholar
Convey, P., Frenot, F., Gremmen, N.Bergstrom, D. 2006. Biological invasions. In Bergstrom, D.B., Convey, P.&Huiskes, A.H.L.,eds. Trends in Antarctic terrestrial and limnetic ecosystems. Antarctica as a global indicator. Dordrecht: Springer, 193–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooney, R.Dickson, B. 2005. Biodiversity and the precautionary principle: risk and uncertainty in conservation and sustainable use. London: Earthscan, 314 pp.Google Scholar
De Villiers, M. 2008. Review of recent research into the effects of human disturbance on wildlife in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic region. In Human disturbance to wildlife in the broader Antarctic region: a review of findings. Appendix 1, Working Paper 12 for XXXI Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, Kiev, Ukraine, 2–13 June 2008.Google Scholar
De Villiers, M., Bause, M., Giese, M.Fourie, A. 2006. Hardly hardhearted: heart rate responses of incubating northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) to human disturbance on sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Polar Biology, 29, 717–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farreny, R., Oliver-Solà, J., Lamers, M., Amelung, B., Gabarrell, X., Rieradevall, J., Boada, M.Benayas, J. 2011. Carbon dioxide emissions of Antarctic tourism. Antarctic Science, 23, 556–566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forster, P., Ramaswamy, V., Artaxo, P., Berntsen, T., Betts, R., Fahey, D.W., Haywood, J., Lean, J., Lowe, D.C., Myhre, G., Nganga, J., Prinn, R., Raga, G., Schulz, M.Van Dorland, R. 2007. Changes in atmospheric constituents and in radiative forcing. In Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., Chen, Z., Marquis, M., Averyt, K.B., Tignor, M.&Miller, H.L., eds. Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 129–234.Google Scholar
Frenot, Y., Chown, S.L., Whinam, J., Selkirk, P., Convey, P., Kotnicki, M.Bergstrom, D. 2005. Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications. Biological Reviews, 80, 45–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gremmen, N.J.M., Smith, V.R.van Torengen, O.F.R. 2003. Impact of trampling on the vegetation of sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 35, 442–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, N.D., Giese, M.Kriwoken, L.K. 2008. Linking variation in penguin responses to pedestrian activity for best practise management on subantarctic Macquarie Island. Polarforschung, 77, 7–15.Google Scholar
Hughes, K.A.Convey, P. 2010. The protection of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems from inter- and intra-continental transfer of non-indigenous species by human activities: a review of current systems and practices. Global Environmental Change, 20, 96–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, K.A., Fretwell, P., Rae, J., Holmes, K.Fleming, A. 2011. Untouched Antarctica: mapping a finite and diminishing environmental resource. Antarctic Science, 23, 537–548.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kleinteich, J., Wood, S.A., Küpper, F.C., Camacho, A., Quesada, A., Frickley, T.Dietrich, D.R. 2012. Temperature-related changes in polar cyanobacterial mat diversity and toxin production. Nature Climate Change, 2, 356–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, D.C. 1971. Vegetation of the South Shetland Islands. British Antarctic Survey Bulletin, No. 25, 59–83.Google Scholar
López-Bueno, A., Tamames, J., Velázquez, D., Moya, A., Quesada, A.Alcami, A. 2009. High diversity of the viral community from an Antarctic lake. Science, 326, 858–861.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
López-Martínez, J., Martínez de Pisón, E., Serrano, E.Arche, A. 1996. Geomorphological map of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. In López-Martínez, J., Thomson, M.R.A.&Thomson, J.W.,eds. Geomorphological map of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island. BAS GEOMAP series, sheet 5A, 1:25 000, with supplementary text. Cambridge: British Antarctic Survey, 65 pp.Google Scholar
Navas, A., López-Martínez, J., Casas, J., Machín, J., Durán, J.J., Serrano, E., Cuchi, F.Mink, S. 2008. Soil characteristics on varying lithological substrates in the South Shetland Islands, Maritime Antarctica. Geoderma, 144, 123–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olech, M. 1996. Human impact on terrestrial ecosystems in West Antarctica. NIPR Symposium on Polar Biology, Proceedings, 9, 299–306.Google Scholar
Pertierra, L., Lara, F., Tejedo, P., Benayas, J.Quesada, A. 2013. Rapid denudation processes in cryptogamic communities from Maritime Antarctica subjected to human trampling. Antarctic Science, 25, 10.1017/S095410201200082X.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pfeiffer, S. 2005. Effects of human activities on southern giant petrels and skuas in the Antarctic. PhD thesis, Ecology Institute, University of Jena. Available at: www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/derivateservlet/derivate-6345/Pfeiffer.pdf.Google Scholar
Quesada, A., Camacho, A., Rochera, C.Velázquez, D. 2009. Byers Peninsula: a reference site for coastal, terrestrial and limnetic ecosystem studies in Maritime Antarctica. Polar Science, 3, 181–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SCAR (Scientific Committee On Antarctic Research). 2009. Environmental code of conduct for terrestrial scientific field research in Antarctica. http://www.scar.org/researchgroups/lifescience/Code_of_Conduct_Jan09.pdf.Google Scholar
Smith, R.I.L.Simpson, H.W. 1987. Early nineteenth century sealer refuges on Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. British Antarctic Bulletin, No. 74, 49–72.Google Scholar
Snape, I., Gore, D.B., Cole, C.M.Riddle, M.J. 2002. Contaminant dispersal and mitigation at Casey Station: an example of how applied geoscience research can reduce environmental risks in Antarctica. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, No. 35, 641–648.Google Scholar
Steig, E.J., Schneider, D.P., Rutherford, S.D., Mann, M.E., Comiso, J.C.Shindell, D.T. 2009. Warming of the Antarctic ice sheet surface since the 1957 International Geophysical Year. Nature, 457, 459–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Summerson, R.Riddle, M.J. 2000. Assessing wilderness and aesthetic values in Antarctica. In Davison, W., Howard-Williams, C.&Broady, P.,eds. Antarctic ecosystems: models for wider ecological understanding. Christchurch: Caxton Press, 303–307.Google Scholar
Tejedo, P., Justel, A., Benayas, J., Rico, E., Convey, P.Quesada, A. 2009. Soil trampling in an Antarctic Specially Protected Area: tools to assess levels of human impact. Antarctic Science, 21, 229–236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tejedo, P., Pertierra, L., Justel, A., Benayas, J., Convey, P.Quesada, A. In press. Trampling on Maritime Antarctica: can soil ecosystems be effectively protected through existing codes of conduct? Polar Research.Google Scholar
Tin, T., Fleming, Z.L., Hughes, K.A., Ainley, D.G., Convey, P., Moreno, C.A., Pfeiffer, S., Scott, J.Snape, I. 2009. Impacts of local human activities on the Antarctic environment. Antarctic Science, 21, 3–33.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toro, M., Camacho, A., Rochera, C., Rico, E., Bañón, M., Fernández-Valiente, E., Marco, E., Justel, A., Vincent, W.F., Avendaño, M.C., Ariosa, Y.Quesada, A. 2007. Limnological characteristics of the freshwater ecosystems of Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, in Maritime Antarctica. Polar Biology, 30, 635–649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaughan, D.G., Marshall, G.L., Connolley, W.L., Parkinson, C., Mulvaney, R., Hodgson, D.A., King, J.C., Pudsey, C.J.Turner, J. 2003. Recent rapid regional climate warming on the Antarctic Peninsula. Climatic Change, 60, 243–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar