[PDF] Patterns For The Antarctic Habitat eBook

Author : Kylienne A. Clark
Publisher : The Ohio State University
Page : 594 pages
File Size : 50,9 MB
Release : 2015-09-15
Category : Nature
ISBN :

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This book was written by undergraduate students at The Ohio State University (OSU) who were enrolled in the class Introduction to Environmental Science. The chapters describe some of Earth's major environmental challenges and discuss ways that humans are using cutting-edge science and engineering to provide sustainable solutions to these problems. Topics are as diverse as the students, who represent virtually every department, school and college at OSU. The environmental issue that is described in each chapter is particularly important to the author, who hopes that their story will serve as inspiration to protect Earth for all life.

Author : Guido di Prisco
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 237 pages
File Size : 26,78 MB
Release : 2012-02-29
Category : Science
ISBN : 3642273521

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The poles undergo climate changes exceeding those in the rest of the world in terms of their speed and extent, and have a key role in modulating the climate of the Earth. Ecosystems adapted to polar environments are likely to become vulnerable to climate changes. Their responses allow us to analyse and foresee the impact of changes at lower latitudes. We need to increase our knowledge of the polar marine fauna of continental shelves, slopes and deep sea, as identifying the responses of species and communities is crucial to establishing efficient strategies against threats to biodiversity, using international and cross-disciplinary approaches. The IPY 2007-2009 was a scientific milestone. The outstanding contribution of Marine Biology is reflected in this volume and the next one on “Adaptation and Evolution in Marine Environments – The Impacts of Global Change on Biodiversity” from the series “From Pole to Pole”, making these volumes a unique and invaluable component of the scientific outcome of the IPY.

Author : David Ainley
Publisher : Columbia University Press
Page : 339 pages
File Size : 25,19 MB
Release : 2002-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0231507321

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The Adélie penguin is one of the best-studied birds in the world and is the subject of research programs from a dozen nations interested in monitoring changes in the environment and the food webs of the Southern Ocean. This species' population has been changing dramatically over the past few decades coincident with a general warming of the maritime portion of Antarctica. When the sea-ice is seen to decline so does the population of Adélie penguins. Further south, however, the population is increasing. This book summarizes our present ecological knowledge of this polar seabird. In so doing, David Ainley describes the ecological factors important to its life history and details the mechanisms by which it is responding to climate change. The author also chronicles the history of research on Adélie penguins, beginning with the heroic expeditions at the beginning of the twentieth century. Weaving together history, ecology, natural history, and written accounts from the earliest Antarctic naturalists into a fascinating account of this charismatic bird, The Adélie Penguin provides a foundation upon which future ornithological research and environmental monitoring can be based. It is a model for investigations into the effect of climate change on a particular species. The book also contains many fine illustrations from the accomplished illustrator Lucia deLeiris and photographs by the author.

Author : Beau Riffenburgh
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 1274 pages
File Size : 28,5 MB
Release : 2007
Category : History
ISBN : 0415970245

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Author : Kate McAllan
Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Page : 32 pages
File Size : 47,56 MB
Release : 2013-07-15
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 1477714936

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This colorful book uses detailed illustrations and clear text to explore the unbelievable adaptations that allow many species of plants and animals to make their homes in the glacial climate of the Earth’s polar regions. Extensive sidebars highlight features specific to the planet’s Arctic and Antarctic regions, placing an emphasis on adaptation and survival. Curious students will be fascinated by accounts of polar exploration. A curated list of websites encourages further reading.

Author : Susana Castro-Sowinski
Publisher : Springer
Page : 298 pages
File Size : 28,19 MB
Release : 2019-01-11
Category : Science
ISBN : 3030027864

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This book provides up-to-date multidisciplinary information regarding microbial physiological groups in terms of their role in the Antarctic ecology. How do microorganisms shape the Antarctic environment? The book presents a thorough overview of the most important physiological microbial groups or microbial systems that shape the Antarctic environment. Each microbial model is described in terms of their physiology and metabolism, and their role in the Antarctic environmental sustainability. The individual chapters prepare readers for understanding the relevance of the microbial models from both an historical perspective, and considering the latest developments. This book will appeal to researchers and teachers interested in the Antarctic science, but also to students who want to understand the role of microbes in the ecology of extreme environments.

Author : Jaco Barendse
Publisher :
Page : 77 pages
File Size : 13,16 MB
Release : 1999
Category : Arthopoda
ISBN :

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Quantitative studies of complete soil arthropod communities are considered essential if a thorough understanding of the structure and dynamics of soil faunas, and their likely response to anthropogenic environmental change, is to be gained. In practice, however, high species richness and poor taxonomic knowledge for most systems often hampers the acquisition of such information. In consequence, many studies resort to the use of higher taxa or more qualitative data. Sub-Antarctic terrestrial systems which are moderately diverse with well-known faunas allow us to bridge some of these problems. Two major terrestrial habitat types (or biotopes) are distinguished on sub-Antarctic islands, namely the epilithic and vegetated biotopes. These two habitat types differ in terms of current extent of vegetational cover and age relative to previous glacial events. The epilithic biotope includes the older habitats such as rocky shores and fellfields that have escaped glaciation, have little vascular plant cover, and is cryptogam dominated. Quantitative data on the soil fauna of a fellfield habitat on sub-Antarctic Marion Island is used to illustrate the pitfalls associated with the qualitative approach. Fellfield is an important vegetation complex in the broad Antarctic region, and on Marion Island consists of both bare rocky areas and cushion plants. Soil arthropod communities in these two distinct habitat components were quantified over one year. Species richness was relatively high (42 spp.) and consisted almost exclusively of indigenous species, although abundances were lower compared with less extreme vegetation types in the sub-Antarctic. In general, arthropods either showed no pronounced seasonal peak in abundance, or a summer peak, although these patterns differed between habitat components within species, and between species. Quantitative analyses highlighted prominent differences between the two habitat components in arthropod community structure, despite the fact that most species were common to both of them. Qualitative analyses, in contrast, obscured these differences, while the use of higher taxa for analyses of seasonality resulted in abundant species generally masking the phenologies of less abundant ones. It is concluded that quantitative analyses of soil arthropod communities are essential if natural and anthropogenic changes in their structure are to be detected, monitored and understood. Studies on sub-Antarctic insects have suggested that species inhabiting the epilithic habitats exhibit higher habitat preference or specificity and also a higher incidence of biotic interactions, such as competition, than those in vegetated habitats. The Acari, a more speciose but less well studied group than the insects, is used to independently test the aspect of habitat specificity. Seventeen different habitats or zones belonging to both the epilithic and vegetated biotopes were quantitatively sampled for mites over a one year period. These included a rocky shore, mire and non-mire lowland vegetation, and a mid-altitude fellfield. Species richness across all habitats was 39 spp., while rocky shore habitats showed higher abundances, but lower species richness, and a distinct fauna, to strictly terrestrial habitats. Multivariate analyses indicated that mite assemblage structure differed significantly between all different habitat types. However, most species in the terrestrial habitats (both epilithic and vegetated) were shared, suggesting that the epilithic fellfield, and especially its vegetated component (Azorella selago cushion plants) would have been suitable refugia during glaciation. The shoreline, due to its distinct fauna, seems a less likely refuge from which recolonisation of vegetated habitats could have taken place. Most species could be considered habitat generalists, although the epilithic habitats (shore and fellfield) had more habitat specific species than the lowland vegetated habitats. Bothrometopus elongatus is one of four Ectemnorhinus-group species restricted to the epilithic biotope on the Prince Edward Islands. The biology of this species was examined over a full year at Kerguelen Rise, a mid-altitude fellfield site on Marion Island. B. elongatus adults eclose from April onwards, reaching maximum densities (c. 17 individuals.m-2) in September. Females mature approximately three eggs at a time and these commence hatching in July. Larval eclosion reaches a peak in November, during which time larval densities are also highest (c. 153 individuals.m-2). The larvae develop through six instars, which is within the range found for other Ectemnorhinus-group species. The high densities of B. elongatus in fellfield habitats, and its single, virtually discrete annual generation, make this species unusual among insects indigenous to the sub-Antarctic. The latter generally have low densities compared to other micro-arthropods, prolonged life cycles, and flexible life histories. It is suggested that the diversity of life histories found amongst the indigenous insects at Marion Island presents considerable potential for testing environmental effects on insect life histories. An overview of sub-Antarctic insect life history data suggests that the indigenous species, with generally prolonged life cycles, are at a disadvantage relative to introduced ones that have more rapid cycles and often complete several generations per year. This is reason for concern given rapid climate change at these islands.

Author : Alex D. Rogers
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 585 pages
File Size : 25,94 MB
Release : 2012-02-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 1444347225

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Since its discovery Antarctica has held a deep fascination for biologists. Extreme environmental conditions, seasonality and isolation have lead to some of the most striking examples of natural selection and adaptation on Earth. Paradoxically, some of these adaptations may pose constraints on the ability of the Antarctic biota to respond to climate change. Parts of Antarctica are showing some of the largest changes in temperature and other environmental conditions in the world. In this volume, published in association with the Royal Society, leading polar scientists present a synthesis of the latest research on the biological systems in Antarctica, covering organisms from microbes to vertebrate higher predators. This book comes at a time when new technologies and approaches allow the implications of climate change and other direct human impacts on Antarctica to be viewed at a range of scales; across entire regions, whole ecosystems and down to the level of species and variation within their genomes. Chapters address both Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and the scientific and management challenges of the future are explored.