Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications.
Yves Frenot,Steven L. Chown,Jennie Whinam,Patricia M. Selkirk,Peter Convey,M. L. Skotnicki,Dana M. Bergstrom +6 more
TLDR
In this article, the authors focus on reducing propagule loads on humans, and their food, cargo, and transport vessels, in order to reduce the risk of alien introductions to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic.Abstract:
Alien microbes, fungi, plants and animals occur on most of the sub-Antarctic islands and some parts of the Antarctic continent. These have arrived over approximately the last two centuries, coincident with human activity in the region. Introduction routes have varied, but are largely associated with movement of people and cargo in connection with industrial, national scientific program and tourist operations. The large majority of aliens are European in origin. They have both direct and indirect impacts on the functioning of species-poor Antarctic ecosystems, in particular including substantial loss of local biodiversity and changes to ecosystem processes. With rapid climate change occurring in some parts of Antarctica, elevated numbers of introductions and enhanced success of colonization by aliens are likely, with consequent increases in impacts on ecosystems. Mitigation measures that will substantially reduce the risk of introductions to Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic must focus on reducing propagule loads on humans, and their food, cargo, and transport vessels.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecological Dynamics Across the Arctic Associated with Recent Climate Change
Eric Post,Eric Post,Mads C. Forchhammer,M. Syndonia Bret-Harte,Terry V. Callaghan,Terry V. Callaghan,Torben R. Christensen,Bo Elberling,Bo Elberling,Anthony D. Fox,Olivier Gilg,David S. Hik,Toke T. Høye,Rolf A. Ims,Erik Jeppesen,David R. Klein,Jesper Madsen,A. David McGuire,Søren Rysgaard,Daniel E. Schindler,Ian Stirling,Mikkel P. Tamstorf,Nicholas J. C. Tyler,René van der Wal,Jeffrey M. Welker,Philip A. Wookey,Niels Martin Schmidt,Peter Aastrup +27 more
TL;DR: These rapid changes in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems, presage changes at lower latitudes that will affect natural resources, food production, and future climate buffering, and highlight areas of ecological research that deserve priority as the Arctic continues to warm.
Book ChapterDOI
Assessment of observed changes and responses in natural and managed systems
TL;DR: Abeku et al. as discussed by the authors presented a survey of the work of Abeku and his colleagues, including Isabelle Cote (Canada), Mark Dyurgerov (USA), Martin Edwards (UK), Kristie L. Ebi (US), Nicole Estrella (Germany), Donald L. MacMynowski (USA) and Patricia Morellato (Brazil), Jeff T. Price (USA).
Journal ArticleDOI
Antarctic climate change and the environment
Peter Convey,Robert Bindschadler,G. di Prisco,Eberhard Fahrbach,Julian Gutt,Dominic A. Hodgson,Paul Andrew Mayewski,Colin Summerhayes,John Turner +8 more
TL;DR: The Southern Hemisphere climate system varies on timescales from orbital, through millennial to sub-annual, and is closely coupled to other parts of the global climate system as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
The freezer defrosting: global warming and litter decomposition rates in cold biomes
TL;DR: In this paper, a meta-analysis of experimental warming studies in cold biomes (34 site-species combinations) showed that warming resulted in slightly increased decomposition rates, however, this response was strongly dependent on the method used: open top chambers reduced decomposition rate, whereas heating lamps stimulated decomposition ratio.
Journal ArticleDOI
Impacts of local human activities on the Antarctic environment.
Tina Tin,Zoe L. Fleming,Kevin A. Hughes,D.G. Ainley,Peter Convey,Carlos A. Moreno,S. Pfeiffer,J. Scott,Ian Snape +8 more
TL;DR: A review of the scientific literature on the impacts of human activities on the Antarctic environment can be found in this article, where a range of impacts has been identified at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Ecological responses to recent climate change.
Gian-Reto Walther,Eric Post,Peter Convey,Annette Menzel,Camille Parmesan,Trevor J. C. Beebee,Jean-Marc Fromentin,Ove Hoegh-Guldberg,Franz Bairlein +8 more
TL;DR: A review of the ecological impacts of recent climate change exposes a coherent pattern of ecological change across systems, from polar terrestrial to tropical marine environments.
Journal ArticleDOI
Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100.
Osvaldo E. Sala,F. S. Chapin,Juan J. Armesto,Eric L. Berlow,Janine Bloomfield,Rodolfo Dirzo,E Huber-Sanwald,Laura Foster Huenneke,Robert B. Jackson,Ann P. Kinzig,Rik Leemans,David M. Lodge,Harold A. Mooney,Martín Oesterheld,N L Poff,Martin T. Sykes,Brian Walker,Marilyn D. Walker,Diana H. Wall +18 more
TL;DR: This study identified a ranking of the importance of drivers of change, aranking of the biomes with respect to expected changes, and the major sources of uncertainties in projections of future biodiversity change.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biotic invasions: causes, epidemiology, global consequences, and control
Richard N. Mack,Daniel Simberloff,W. Mark Lonsdale,Harry C. Evans,M. N. Clout,Fakhri A. Bazzaz +5 more
TL;DR: Given their current scale, biotic invasions have taken their place alongside human-driven atmospheric and oceanic alterations as major agents of global change and left unchecked, they will influence these other forces in profound but still unpredictable ways.
Journal ArticleDOI
Naturalization and invasion of alien plants: concepts and definitions
David M. Richardson,Petr Pyšek,Marcel Rejmánek,Michael G. Barbour,F. Dane Panetta,Carol J. West +5 more
TL;DR: It is proposed that the term ‘invasive’ should be used without any inference to environmental or economic impact, and terms like ‘pests’ and ‘weeds’ are suitable labels for the 50–80% of invaders that have harmful effects.
Journal ArticleDOI
Large losses of total ozone in Antarctica reveal seasonal ClOx/NOx interaction
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the very low temperatures which prevail from midwinter until several weeks after the spring equinox make the Antarctic stratosphere uniquely sensitive to growth of inorganic chlorine, ClX, primarily by the effect of this growth on the NO2/NO ratio.