Bonner / Walton PT / Walton Antarctica

1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4832-8600-6
Verlag: Elsevier Science & Techn.
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 394 Seiten, Web PDF

Reihe: Key Environment Series

Antarctica, a vast land remote from the other continents and still the least known of them all, provides a unique international laboratory for science. Despite the costs, a growing number of countries are supporting basic scientific research on the continent and in its surrounding seas. Our knowledge of life in this extreme environment, although limited, suggests that it is a key environment for many areas of science. Potential economic developments for food and minerals as well as increasing political complications might jeopardise the present scientific accord in the future. Now is the time to take stock: what do we know about Antarctic ecology? What are the threats and how can they be met? In this volume Antarctic scientists from six countries write about the Antarctic ecosystem.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bonner, N.

Walton PT, David

Walton, David

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Front Cover;1
2;Key Environments: Antarctica;4
3;Copyright Page;5
4;Table of Contents;10
5;General Preface;8
6;CHAPTER 1. History and Exploration in Antarctic Biology;12
6.1;1.1. EARLY DAYS;12
6.2;1.2. SCIENCE AND NATIONALISM;17
6.3;1.3. THE QUEST FOR THE POLE;20
6.4;1.4. EXPLOITATION IN THE ANTARCTIC AND THE GROWTH OF KNOWLEDGE;25
6.5;1.5. TERRITORIAL CLAIMS AND THE INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR;27
6.6;1.6. SCAR AND THE ANTARCTIC TREATY;28
6.7;REFERENCES;31
7;CHAPTER 2. Physical Geography — Introduction;32
8;CHAPTER 2a. Physical Geography — Climate;34
8.1;2a. 1. ANTARCTICA'S PRESENT CLIMATE;34
8.2;2a.2. THE ANTARCTIC CONTINENTAL CLIMATE — PAST AND FUTURE;44
8.3;REFERENCES;48
9;CHAPTER 2b. Physical Geography — Geological Evolution;50
9.1;2b. 1. INTRODUCTION;50
9.2;2.b.2. ANTARCTICA AND PLATE TECTONICS;51
9.3;2.b.3. ANTARCTICA IN GONDWANA;53
9.4;2b.4. GONDWANA BREAK-UP;61
9.5;2b.5. PALAEOCLIMATE AND FORMATION OF THE CONTINENTAL ICE;68
9.6;2b.6. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY: POTENTIAL RESOURCES;69
9.7;REFERENCES;71
10;CHAPTER 2c. Physical Geography — Soils;73
10.1;2c. 1. SOIL-FORMING FACTORS;73
10.2;2c.2. SOIL ZONES;74
10.3;2c.3. SIGNIFICANCE OF SOIL STUDIES;78
10.4;REFERENCES;81
11;CHAPTER 3. Terrestrial Habitats — Introduction;82
12;CHAPTER 3a. Terrestrial Habitats — Vegetation;84
12.1;3a. 1. ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FLORA;84
12.2;3a.2. GENERAL FEATURES AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE VEGETATION;86
12.3;3a.3. VEGETATION IN THE MARITIME ANTARCTIC;88
12.4;3a.4. VEGETATION ON CONTINENTAL ANTARCTICA;98
12.5;3a.5. VEGETATION PATTERN AND DYNAMICS;102
12.6;3a.6. ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS OF ANTARCTIC VEGETATION;105
12.7;3a.7. PLANTS IN ANTARCTIC ECOSYSTEMS;112
12.8;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;114
12.9;REFERENCES;114
13;CHAPTER 3b. Terrestrial Habitats — Invertebrates;117
13.1;3b. 1. INTRODUCTION;117
13.2;3b.2. SURVEY OF THE INVERTEBRATE FAUNA;118
13.3;3b.3. FOOD WEBS;121
13.4;3b.4. BIOGEOGRAPHY;122
13.5;3b.5. PROBLEMS OF SURVIVAL;123
13.6;3b.6. CONCLUDING REMARKS;127
13.7;REFERENCES;127
14;CHAPTER 3c. Terrestrial Habitats — Inland Waters;129
14.1;3c. 1. INTRODUCTION;129
14.2;3c.2. THE ANTARCTIC LAKE ENVIRONMENT;130
14.3;3c.3. FRESHWATER LAKES;132
14.4;3c.4. SALINE LAKES;139
14.5;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;142
14.6;REFERENCES;142
15;CHAPTER 4. Marine Habitats — Introduction;144
16;CHAPTER 4a. Plankton of the Antarctic Seas;146
16.1;4a. 1 INTRODUCTION;146
16.2;4a.2 THE PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENT;147
16.3;4a.3 PHYTOPLANKTON;149
16.4;4a.4. ZOOPLANKTON;156
16.5;4a.5. KRILL;159
16.6;4a.6. CONCLUSION;162
16.7;ACKNOWLEDGEMENT;163
16.8;REFERENCES;163
17;CHAPTER 4b. Marine Habitats — Benthos;165
17.1;4b. 1. INTRODUCTION;165
17.2;4b.2. BOUNDARIES OF THE BENTHIC AREA;166
17.3;4b.3. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT;167
17.4;4b.4. BENTHIC FLORA AND FAUNA;169
17.5;4b.5. BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ORIGIN OF BENTHIC FAUNA;177
17.6;4b.6. PHYSIOLOGY OF BENTHIC INVERTEBRATES;179
17.7;4b.7. CONCLUSION;181
17.8;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;182
17.9;REFERENCES;182
18;CHAPTER 4c. Marine Habitats — Antarctic Fish;184
18.1;4c. 1. COMPOSITION AND ORIGIN OF THE ANTARCTIC FISH FAUNA;184
18.2;4c.2. PHYSIOLOGICAL ADAPTATIONS;189
18.3;4c.3. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION;194
18.4;4c.4. VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION;194
18.5;4c.5. REPRODUCTION;196
18.6;4c.6. FEEDING ECOLOGY AND SIGNIFICANCE IN THE ECOSYSTEM;197
18.7;4c.7. AGE, GROWTH AND SIZE;200
18.8;4c.8. EXPLOITATION;200
18.9;REFERENCES;202
19;CHAPTER 4d. Marine Habitats — Antarctic Cephalopods;204
19.1;4d.l. INTRODUCTION;204
19.2;4d.2. FOOD AND FEEDING;206
19.3;4d.3. LIGHT ORGANS;208
19.4;4d.4. GROWTH AND REPRODUCTION;208
19.5;4d.5. ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS;209
19.6;REFERENCES;210
20;CHAPTER 5. Birds and Mammals — Introduction;212
21;CHAPTER 5a. Birds and Mammals — Antarctic Seals;213
21.1;5a. 1. INTRODUCTION;213
21.2;5a.2. THE ORIGIN OF THE ANTARCTIC SEALS;214
21.3;5a.3. THE CRABEATER SEAL;214
21.4;5a.4. THE LEOPARD SEAL;216
21.5;5a.5. THE ROSS SEAL;217
21.6;5a.6. THE WEDDELL SEAL;218
21.7;5a.7. THE SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL;219
21.8;5a.8. THE ANTARCTIC FUR SEAL;220
21.9;5a.9. THE NUMBERS OF SEALS;221
21.10;5a. 10. FEEDING ECOLOGY OF ANTARCTIC SEALS;222
21.11;5a. 11. REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF ANTARCTIC SEALS;225
21.12;5a. 12. EXPLOITATION AND RECOVERY;228
21.13;REFERENCES;232
22;CHAPTER 5b. Birds and Mammals — Antarctic Whales;234
22.1;5b. 1. INTRODUCE [ON;234
22.2;5b.2. GENERAL LIFE HISTORY;238
22.3;5b.3. REVIEW OF WHALING IN THE ANTARCTIC;243
22.4;5b.4. CHANGES IN BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS;245
22.5;5b.5. IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT;249
22.6;REFERENCES;251
23;CHAPTER 5c. Birds and Mammals — Oceanic Birds of the Antarctic;253
23.1;5c. 1. INTRODUCTION;253
23.2;5c.2. TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION OF THE AVIFAUNA;255
23.3;5c.3. WHY SO FEW SPECIES?;256
23.4;5c.4. HOW MANY BIRDS ARE THERE?;259
23.5;5c.5. WHAT DETERMINES THE DISPERSION OF THE AVIFAUNA?;261
23.6;5c.6. WHAT DO THE BIRDS EAT, AND HOW DO THEY OBTAIN THEIR FOOD?;264
23.7;5c.7. HOW MUCH DO THE BIRDS EAT?;266
23.8;5c.8. DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AVIFAUNA;267
23.9;5c.9. HOW DO THE BIRDS AFFECT TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS?;270
23.10;5c.10 WHY SO MANY BIG SPECIES?;271
23.11;5c. 11. CONSERVATION CONSIDERATIONS;274
23.12;REFERENCES;276
24;CHAPTER 5d. Birds and Mammals — Penguins;277
24.1;5d.l. INTRODUCTION;277
24.2;5d.2. PENGUIN ORIGINS, FORM AND ADAPTATIONS;279
24.3;5d.3. STUDYING PENGUINS;285
24.4;5d.4. THE BRUSH-TAILED PENGUINS;287
24.5;5d.5. THE CRESTED PENGUINS;292
24.6;5d.6. APTENODYTID PENGUINS;295
24.7;5d.7. PENGUIN CONSERVATION;300
24.8;REFERENCES;301
25;CHAPTER 6a. The Sub-Antarctic Islands;304
25.1;6a.l. GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE;304
25.2;6a.2. BIOGEOGRAPHY;307
25.3;6a.3. SOILS;314
25.4;6a.4. PLANT COMMUNITIES;317
25.5;6a.5. MICROCLIMATES;322
25.6;6a.6. THE ECOLOGY OF SUB-ANTARCTIC INVERTEBRATES;324
25.7;6a.7. VERTEBRATE FAUNA;325
25.8;6a.8. CONSERVATION AND SOVEREIGNTY;325
25.9;REFERENCES;327
26;CHAPTER 6b. The Sub-Antarctic Islands — Introduced Mammals;329
26.1;6b. 1. INTRODUCTION;329
26.2;6b.2. INTRODUCED MAMMALS;330
26.3;6b.3. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTRODUCTION;335
26.4;6b.4. EFFECTS ON NATIVE FLORA AND FAUNA;336
26.5;6b.5. CONTROL MEASURES;337
26.6;6b.6. INTEREST FOR MAN;337
26.7;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;338
26.8;REFERENCES;338
27;CHAPTER 7. Food Webs and Interactions: an Overview of the Antarctic Ecosystem;340
27.1;7.1. INTRODUCTION;340
27.2;7.2. SEASONAL PATTERNS OF ENERGY AND NUTRIENT FLOW;341
27.3;7.3. THE EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE;351
27.4;7.4. SEASONALITY;354
27.5;7.5. PAST HISTORY AND FUTURE PROSPECTS;357
27.6;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;360
27.7;REFERENCES;360
28;CHAPTER 8. Conservation and Exploitation;362
28.1;8.1. INTRODUCTION;362
28.2;8.2. THE EXPLOITATION BACKGROUND;363
28.3;8.3. PRESENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN THE ANTARCTIC;367
28.4;8.4. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON THE ANTARCTIC ENVIRONMENT;368
28.5;8.5. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS;370
28.6;8.6. THE LEGAL BACKGROUND;372
28.7;8.7. DISCUSSION;377
28.8;REFERENCES;380
29;Index;382
30;KEY ENVIRONMENTS;394