Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not ... more Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not an exception. The growth and diversification of Antarctic tourism over the last few decades have been extensively studied. However, environmental impacts associated with this activity have received less attention despite an increasing body of scholarship examining environmental issues related to Antarctic tourism. Aside from raising important research questions, the potential negative effects of tourist visits in Antarctica are also an issue discussed by Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties. This study presents the results of a meta-analysis of scholarly publications that synthesizes and updates our current knowledge of environmental impacts resulting from Antarctic tourism. A first publication database containing 233 records that focussed on this topic was compiled and subjected to a general bibliometric and content analysis. Further, an in-depth content analysis was performed on a subset of 75 records, which were focussed on showing specific research on Antarctic tourism impacts. The main topic, methods, management proposals, and research gaps highlighted by the respective authors of these 75 publications were assessed. The range of research topics addressed, the methods used - including the application of established research designs from the field of environmental impact assessment -, and the conclusions reached by the study authors are discussed. Interestingly, almost one third of the studies did not detect a direct relationship between tourism and significant negative effects on the environment. Cumulative impacts of tourism have received little attention, and long-term and comprehensive monitoring programs have been discussed only rarely, leading us to assume that such long-term programs are scarce. More importantly, connections between research and policy or management do not always exist. This analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy to investigate and monitor the environmental impacts of tourism in Antarctica. A first specific research and monitoring programme to stimulate a debate among members of the Antarctic scientific and policy communities is proposed, with the ultimate goal of advancing the regulation and management of Antarctic tourism collaboratively.
Understanding the success factors underlying each step in the process of biological invasion prov... more Understanding the success factors underlying each step in the process of biological invasion provides a robust foundation upon which to develop appropriate biosecurity measures. Insights into the processes occurring can be gained through clarifying the circumstances applying to non-native species that have arrived, established and, in some cases, successfully spread in terrestrial Antarctica. To date, examples include a small number of vascular plants and a greater diversity of invertebrates (including Diptera, Collembola, Acari and Oligochaeta), which share features of pre-adaptation to the environmental stresses experienced in Antarctica. In this synthesis, we examine multiple classic invasion science hypotheses that are widely considered to have relevance in invasion ecology and assess their utility in understanding the different invasion histories so far documented in the continent. All of these existing hypotheses appear relevant to some degree in explaining invasion processes ...
Abstract Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation,... more Abstract Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation, biodiversity and habitat protection, cultural heritage, scientific knowledge, education and recreation as well as the extraction of marine living resources. However, environmental protection studies have rarely examined the full complement of Antarctic values recognized in the Antarctic Treaty or Antarctica’s other natural benefits as ecosystem services (ES). Moreover, the existing limited number of ES studies have focused primarily on the biophysical modeling of the service providing units, with little focus on evaluating the balance between Antarctica’s intrinsic vs. economic values (e.g., opportunity cost, payment for services and bequest), or societal perceptions on the Antarctic ES teleconnections with global issues. Here, we systematically identify the ES dimensions present in Antarctica through an expert elicitation combined with scientific literature review. We then map their spatial overlap and examine the existing trends of usage over the various stages of ES utilization in the continent. Lastly, we conduct a preliminary evaluation of the resulting trade-offs from their respective increased utilization. Our results show that Antarcticas ES are currently facing substantial challenges to remain sustainable. In marine ecosystems, fish and krill stock provisioning may put at risk the maintenance of habitats and biodiversity regulation. In turn, cultural values centered around terrestrial ecosystems, face a three-way conflict between the increasing demand for tourism opportunities, the region’s rich and diverse scientific interests and the vast wilderness and bequest values. To appropriately conserve Antarctic ES for future generations, we discuss how different ES framework tools could be developed and adapted to the Antarctic Treaty policy context.
Visitor Site Guidelines are the principal instruments guiding tourist activities and behaviour at... more Visitor Site Guidelines are the principal instruments guiding tourist activities and behaviour at intensively visited sites. These instruments attempt to minimize tourist impacts on Antarctic wildlife, including penguins. However, some recommendations still need to be reinforced by empirical research. Although penguins have enjoyed considerable research attention, a knowledge gap still exists regarding penguins' behavioural responses to realistic tourist activities, including talking sound, viewing distance and movement speed. To fill this gap, we conducted a series of experiments to simulate these activities on two penguin species breeding at an intensively visited site during the 2019–2020 season. We performed 106 replicates of passive and active human presence treatments. Responses varied between species, but active human presence consistently triggered significantly higher responses of strong vigilance behaviour. Our results reinforce Visitor Site Guidelines' recommendat...
El proceso de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) en el Grado en Biología ... more El proceso de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) en el Grado en Biología de IE Universidad comenzó durante el año académico 2009/2010 con un grupo de español. En el curso académico 2010/2011 el proceso continuó con el inicio de la titulación en inglés. Las mejoras docentes introducidas desde entonces, hoy se consideran fortalezas del grado. Destacan, la realización de actividades transversales entre diferentes materias gracias al alto grado de coordinación entre el profesorado, el uso de las nuevas tecnologías, la potenciación del trabajo autónomo del alumno, el predominio de las sesiones prácticas frente a las tradicionales clases magistrales, la evaluación continua desde una perspectiva integradora, las actividades docentes innovadoras y el seguimiento personalizado del alumno. La formación de los estudiantes se completa con un módulo dedicado a las habilidades sobre gestión empresarial, con sesiones a cargo de especialistas externos y, de forma optativa, c...
Antarctic soils are particularly vulnerable to disturbance due to their biological and physical p... more Antarctic soils are particularly vulnerable to disturbance due to their biological and physical properties and naturally slow recovery rates that are suppressed by low temperatures and sometimes low moisture availability. As most human activities are concentrated in relatively small scattered ice-free areas, the potential for adverse human impacts is great. Antarctic soils provide habitat for fauna and flora which are regionally important and, in some cases, include endemic representatives. Thus, protection of this component of the ecosystem should be a priority. Human trampling and track formation as a result of field camp installation, scientific activities and tourism can produce some undesirable consequences on soils. These impacts affect soil physicochemical and biological properties at different scales, ranging from populations to communities, and even habitats. The longevity of disturbances depends on soil type, regional climate, impact severity, remediation effort (if any), ...
The small ice-free areas of Antarctica provide an essential habitat for most evident terrestrial ... more 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, consequ...
Barrientos Island is a small islet in the South Shetland archipelago frequently visited by Antarc... more Barrientos Island is a small islet in the South Shetland archipelago frequently visited by Antarctic tourists. Collembola were recently used in another study developed in this site to assess the environmental conditions of two paths used by visitors, showing the importance of this soil faunal community. This motivated the realization of the first comprehensive census of Collembola from Barrientos Island. Fifty-six samples were recorded over three seasons, 2011–2013, from eight different substrate types. During the last campaign, 39 soil samples were also taken to analyze different physical, chemical, biological, microbiological, and biochemical variables in order to put into relation all these environmental conditions with abundance and richness of Collembola species. A total of ten species were recorded, all of them previously cited from Antarctica. The native species Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus Willem (Collembola: Isotomidae) is the most abundant in the island. Two cosmopolitan species—Hypogastrura viatica (Tullberg) (Hypogastruridae) and Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek (Tullbergiidae)—were also identified. Many of the species on this island can be considered as eurytopic, appearing in most of the analyzed substrate types. Collembola distribution was found to be influenced by elevation and, to a lesser extent, by phosphorous content and slope. Other variables that are usually cited in the specialized literature did not significantly influence the Collembola distribution in this island. Our results show that the distribution and abundance of Collembola in Antarctic locations is not directly dependent on a single factor. The environmental characteristics of each studied site will determine what factors are driving the composition and structure of this soil community.
Biological invasions are one of the major threats to Antarctic native biodiversity and to ecosyst... more Biological invasions are one of the major threats to Antarctic native biodiversity and to ecosystems integrity. Regional environmental change and increasing human activity in Maritime Antarctica facilitates the introduction, establishment and colonisation of an increasing number of non-indigenous species. Systematic monitoring is an essential tool for the early detection of the arrival of non-indigenous arthropods. In this study, we compiled the results of a long-term monitoring effort from 2011 to 2017 to survey non-native collembolan species on Deception Island, a highly visited terrestrial site in South Shetland Islands (Maritime Antarctica). Results include the first record of Ceratophysella succinea (Gisin) (Hypogastruridae) in Antarctica. Moreover, the global dataset indicates that the total number and the list of cumulatively occurrence localities for non-native species observed on the island has increased over this monitoring period. This suggests that repeated monitoring is advisable to characterise the full extent of microarthropod introductions into a high biosecurity risk area and improve the effectiveness of surveillance efforts.
The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil... more The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins' faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted co...
The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to assess the degree of multidisciplinarity an... more The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to assess the degree of multidisciplinarity and international co-operation between scientists working on Deception Island, using techniques based on social network analysis. A database was built of the scientific output, as represented by published articles, on Deception Island between 1964–2012. From the 173 published articles, the main topics, the temporal trends, the profile of the principal journals, and the contributions made by each country, research institution and scientist were obtained. The data presented show a significant role played by four of the six nations belonging to the Deception Island Management Group. However, collaborations between researchers in different fields was unusual and co-authoring by researchers from different countries was relatively low. These results show that there is a need to strengthen international co-operation, a highly advisable strategy in Antarctica due to the complexity of logistics and...
Research in extremely delicate environments must be sensitive to the need to minimize impacts cau... more Research in extremely delicate environments must be sensitive to the need to minimize impacts caused simply through the presence of research personnel. This study investigates the effectiveness of current advice relating to travel on foot over Antarctic vegetation-free soils. These are based on the concentration of impacts through the creation of properly signed and identified paths. In order to address these impacts, we quantified three factors - resistance to compression, bulk density and free-living terrestrial arthropod abundance - in areas of human activity over five summer field seasons at the Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands). Studies included instances of both experimentally controlled use and natural non-controlled situations. The data demonstrate that a minimum human presence is sufficient to alter both physical and biological characteristics of Byers Peninsula soils, although at the lowest levels of human activity this difference was not signific...
Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not ... more Human activities in Antarctica were increasing before the COVID-19 pandemic, and tourism was not an exception. The growth and diversification of Antarctic tourism over the last few decades have been extensively studied. However, environmental impacts associated with this activity have received less attention despite an increasing body of scholarship examining environmental issues related to Antarctic tourism. Aside from raising important research questions, the potential negative effects of tourist visits in Antarctica are also an issue discussed by Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties. This study presents the results of a meta-analysis of scholarly publications that synthesizes and updates our current knowledge of environmental impacts resulting from Antarctic tourism. A first publication database containing 233 records that focussed on this topic was compiled and subjected to a general bibliometric and content analysis. Further, an in-depth content analysis was performed on a subset of 75 records, which were focussed on showing specific research on Antarctic tourism impacts. The main topic, methods, management proposals, and research gaps highlighted by the respective authors of these 75 publications were assessed. The range of research topics addressed, the methods used - including the application of established research designs from the field of environmental impact assessment -, and the conclusions reached by the study authors are discussed. Interestingly, almost one third of the studies did not detect a direct relationship between tourism and significant negative effects on the environment. Cumulative impacts of tourism have received little attention, and long-term and comprehensive monitoring programs have been discussed only rarely, leading us to assume that such long-term programs are scarce. More importantly, connections between research and policy or management do not always exist. This analysis highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy to investigate and monitor the environmental impacts of tourism in Antarctica. A first specific research and monitoring programme to stimulate a debate among members of the Antarctic scientific and policy communities is proposed, with the ultimate goal of advancing the regulation and management of Antarctic tourism collaboratively.
Understanding the success factors underlying each step in the process of biological invasion prov... more Understanding the success factors underlying each step in the process of biological invasion provides a robust foundation upon which to develop appropriate biosecurity measures. Insights into the processes occurring can be gained through clarifying the circumstances applying to non-native species that have arrived, established and, in some cases, successfully spread in terrestrial Antarctica. To date, examples include a small number of vascular plants and a greater diversity of invertebrates (including Diptera, Collembola, Acari and Oligochaeta), which share features of pre-adaptation to the environmental stresses experienced in Antarctica. In this synthesis, we examine multiple classic invasion science hypotheses that are widely considered to have relevance in invasion ecology and assess their utility in understanding the different invasion histories so far documented in the continent. All of these existing hypotheses appear relevant to some degree in explaining invasion processes ...
Abstract Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation,... more Abstract Antarctic ecosystem services are rich and diverse and include global climate modulation, biodiversity and habitat protection, cultural heritage, scientific knowledge, education and recreation as well as the extraction of marine living resources. However, environmental protection studies have rarely examined the full complement of Antarctic values recognized in the Antarctic Treaty or Antarctica’s other natural benefits as ecosystem services (ES). Moreover, the existing limited number of ES studies have focused primarily on the biophysical modeling of the service providing units, with little focus on evaluating the balance between Antarctica’s intrinsic vs. economic values (e.g., opportunity cost, payment for services and bequest), or societal perceptions on the Antarctic ES teleconnections with global issues. Here, we systematically identify the ES dimensions present in Antarctica through an expert elicitation combined with scientific literature review. We then map their spatial overlap and examine the existing trends of usage over the various stages of ES utilization in the continent. Lastly, we conduct a preliminary evaluation of the resulting trade-offs from their respective increased utilization. Our results show that Antarcticas ES are currently facing substantial challenges to remain sustainable. In marine ecosystems, fish and krill stock provisioning may put at risk the maintenance of habitats and biodiversity regulation. In turn, cultural values centered around terrestrial ecosystems, face a three-way conflict between the increasing demand for tourism opportunities, the region’s rich and diverse scientific interests and the vast wilderness and bequest values. To appropriately conserve Antarctic ES for future generations, we discuss how different ES framework tools could be developed and adapted to the Antarctic Treaty policy context.
Visitor Site Guidelines are the principal instruments guiding tourist activities and behaviour at... more Visitor Site Guidelines are the principal instruments guiding tourist activities and behaviour at intensively visited sites. These instruments attempt to minimize tourist impacts on Antarctic wildlife, including penguins. However, some recommendations still need to be reinforced by empirical research. Although penguins have enjoyed considerable research attention, a knowledge gap still exists regarding penguins' behavioural responses to realistic tourist activities, including talking sound, viewing distance and movement speed. To fill this gap, we conducted a series of experiments to simulate these activities on two penguin species breeding at an intensively visited site during the 2019–2020 season. We performed 106 replicates of passive and active human presence treatments. Responses varied between species, but active human presence consistently triggered significantly higher responses of strong vigilance behaviour. Our results reinforce Visitor Site Guidelines' recommendat...
El proceso de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) en el Grado en Biología ... more El proceso de adaptación al Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) en el Grado en Biología de IE Universidad comenzó durante el año académico 2009/2010 con un grupo de español. En el curso académico 2010/2011 el proceso continuó con el inicio de la titulación en inglés. Las mejoras docentes introducidas desde entonces, hoy se consideran fortalezas del grado. Destacan, la realización de actividades transversales entre diferentes materias gracias al alto grado de coordinación entre el profesorado, el uso de las nuevas tecnologías, la potenciación del trabajo autónomo del alumno, el predominio de las sesiones prácticas frente a las tradicionales clases magistrales, la evaluación continua desde una perspectiva integradora, las actividades docentes innovadoras y el seguimiento personalizado del alumno. La formación de los estudiantes se completa con un módulo dedicado a las habilidades sobre gestión empresarial, con sesiones a cargo de especialistas externos y, de forma optativa, c...
Antarctic soils are particularly vulnerable to disturbance due to their biological and physical p... more Antarctic soils are particularly vulnerable to disturbance due to their biological and physical properties and naturally slow recovery rates that are suppressed by low temperatures and sometimes low moisture availability. As most human activities are concentrated in relatively small scattered ice-free areas, the potential for adverse human impacts is great. Antarctic soils provide habitat for fauna and flora which are regionally important and, in some cases, include endemic representatives. Thus, protection of this component of the ecosystem should be a priority. Human trampling and track formation as a result of field camp installation, scientific activities and tourism can produce some undesirable consequences on soils. These impacts affect soil physicochemical and biological properties at different scales, ranging from populations to communities, and even habitats. The longevity of disturbances depends on soil type, regional climate, impact severity, remediation effort (if any), ...
The small ice-free areas of Antarctica provide an essential habitat for most evident terrestrial ... more 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, consequ...
Barrientos Island is a small islet in the South Shetland archipelago frequently visited by Antarc... more Barrientos Island is a small islet in the South Shetland archipelago frequently visited by Antarctic tourists. Collembola were recently used in another study developed in this site to assess the environmental conditions of two paths used by visitors, showing the importance of this soil faunal community. This motivated the realization of the first comprehensive census of Collembola from Barrientos Island. Fifty-six samples were recorded over three seasons, 2011–2013, from eight different substrate types. During the last campaign, 39 soil samples were also taken to analyze different physical, chemical, biological, microbiological, and biochemical variables in order to put into relation all these environmental conditions with abundance and richness of Collembola species. A total of ten species were recorded, all of them previously cited from Antarctica. The native species Cryptopygus antarcticus antarcticus Willem (Collembola: Isotomidae) is the most abundant in the island. Two cosmopolitan species—Hypogastrura viatica (Tullberg) (Hypogastruridae) and Mesaphorura macrochaeta Rusek (Tullbergiidae)—were also identified. Many of the species on this island can be considered as eurytopic, appearing in most of the analyzed substrate types. Collembola distribution was found to be influenced by elevation and, to a lesser extent, by phosphorous content and slope. Other variables that are usually cited in the specialized literature did not significantly influence the Collembola distribution in this island. Our results show that the distribution and abundance of Collembola in Antarctic locations is not directly dependent on a single factor. The environmental characteristics of each studied site will determine what factors are driving the composition and structure of this soil community.
Biological invasions are one of the major threats to Antarctic native biodiversity and to ecosyst... more Biological invasions are one of the major threats to Antarctic native biodiversity and to ecosystems integrity. Regional environmental change and increasing human activity in Maritime Antarctica facilitates the introduction, establishment and colonisation of an increasing number of non-indigenous species. Systematic monitoring is an essential tool for the early detection of the arrival of non-indigenous arthropods. In this study, we compiled the results of a long-term monitoring effort from 2011 to 2017 to survey non-native collembolan species on Deception Island, a highly visited terrestrial site in South Shetland Islands (Maritime Antarctica). Results include the first record of Ceratophysella succinea (Gisin) (Hypogastruridae) in Antarctica. Moreover, the global dataset indicates that the total number and the list of cumulatively occurrence localities for non-native species observed on the island has increased over this monitoring period. This suggests that repeated monitoring is advisable to characterise the full extent of microarthropod introductions into a high biosecurity risk area and improve the effectiveness of surveillance efforts.
The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil... more The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins' faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted co...
The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to assess the degree of multidisciplinarity an... more The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to assess the degree of multidisciplinarity and international co-operation between scientists working on Deception Island, using techniques based on social network analysis. A database was built of the scientific output, as represented by published articles, on Deception Island between 1964–2012. From the 173 published articles, the main topics, the temporal trends, the profile of the principal journals, and the contributions made by each country, research institution and scientist were obtained. The data presented show a significant role played by four of the six nations belonging to the Deception Island Management Group. However, collaborations between researchers in different fields was unusual and co-authoring by researchers from different countries was relatively low. These results show that there is a need to strengthen international co-operation, a highly advisable strategy in Antarctica due to the complexity of logistics and...
Research in extremely delicate environments must be sensitive to the need to minimize impacts cau... more Research in extremely delicate environments must be sensitive to the need to minimize impacts caused simply through the presence of research personnel. This study investigates the effectiveness of current advice relating to travel on foot over Antarctic vegetation-free soils. These are based on the concentration of impacts through the creation of properly signed and identified paths. In order to address these impacts, we quantified three factors - resistance to compression, bulk density and free-living terrestrial arthropod abundance - in areas of human activity over five summer field seasons at the Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands). Studies included instances of both experimentally controlled use and natural non-controlled situations. The data demonstrate that a minimum human presence is sufficient to alter both physical and biological characteristics of Byers Peninsula soils, although at the lowest levels of human activity this difference was not signific...
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