Abstract
Background: Antarctica is among the world’s last great wildernesses, but the anthropogenic activities and associated infrastructures threaten its fragile biota. We quantify the impact of the construction of a 2200 m long gravel runway airstrip for airfreight operations of the Italian research station on vegetation ecosystems at Boulder Clay (continental Antarctica). We propose a pilot project to mitigate this impact through the transplantation of vegetation from the runway to safe sites. Methods: A vegetation field survey was performed through phytosociological relevés and vegetation mapping and data were analyzed through multivariate analysis. Results: We quantify the destructive impact of the runway construction on the flora and vegetation of Boulder Clay. Based on vegetation characteristics, 28 priority areas were transplanted from the runway to safe sites, with 89% of survival. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first time that vegetation transplantation was performed in Antarctica to mitigate the consequences of human actions, as formerly it was used only for scientific experiments. This pilot project provides a tool to support management decisions, involving the quantitative evaluation of the infrastructure impacts and showing the suitability of practical mitigation actions. This pilot project proposes a practical tool exportable to all Antarctica and beyond and suggests to link the permissions’ release for the new infrastructures in Antarctica to the realization of specific conservation and mitigation actions.
Highlights
Antarctica is a unique continent for its wilderness and relatively pristine nature, with ecosystems characterized by substantial and high biodiversity, highly sensitive and fragile due to their adaptation to extremely harsh climatic conditions [1,2,3,4,5]
Through the pilot project described in this case study, we propose a protocol for: (a) the quantification of the consequences of the human actions on the native biota and, based on the achieved quantitative scientific data, (b) the planning and realization of mitigation actions to reduce this impact through transplanting of the threatened biota in safe sites
We suggest that the realization of active conservation and mitigation actions could be a mandatory condition to release the permits for the infrastructures subject to environmental impact assessment in Antarctica
Summary
Antarctica is a unique continent for its wilderness and relatively pristine nature (due to very limited human footprint), with ecosystems characterized by substantial and high biodiversity, highly sensitive and fragile due to their adaptation to extremely harsh climatic conditions [1,2,3,4,5]. For these values, this continent has been devoted to peace and science according to the terms of the Antarctic Treaty since 1961 [6] 28 priority areas were transplanted from the runway to safe sites, with
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