Ecosystem evolution of seal colony and the influencing factors in the 20th century on Fildes Peninsula,West Antarctica  

作　　者：Jing Huang Liguang Sun Xinming Wang Yuhong Wang Tao Huang 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China [2]Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guangzhou 510640, China [3]Advanced Management Research Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China

出　　处：《Journal of Environmental Sciences》2011年第9期1431-1436,共6页环境科学学报（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.40730107);the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (No.2006BAB18B07);the National Basic Research Program of China (No.2009CB42160X);the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry Foundation (No.OGL-200606)

摘　　要：As the topmost predator in Antarctica,the seal is a unique indicator of Antarctic environment and climate changes.In this study,we collected a sediment core from the Fildes Peninsula of West Antarctica,and used cholesterol,cholestanol,epicoprostanol,coprostanol,and seal hair numbers as the proxy indicators of seal population size and phytol as of general vegetation,and we reconstructed the 20th century history of variation of the seal population and vegetation abundance on this island.The sealing industry in the early 20th century caused the dramatic decline of seal population,and the ban of seal hunting since the 1960s led to its recovery of seal population.The seal population during the past century was primarily controlled by human activities and krill density.The reconstructed relation between seal population and vegetation abundance may offer new insights into Antarctic environment and ecology.As the topmost predator in Antarctica,the seal is a unique indicator of Antarctic environment and climate changes.In this study,we collected a sediment core from the Fildes Peninsula of West Antarctica,and used cholesterol,cholestanol,epicoprostanol,coprostanol,and seal hair numbers as the proxy indicators of seal population size and phytol as of general vegetation,and we reconstructed the 20th century history of variation of the seal population and vegetation abundance on this island.The sealing industry in the early 20th century caused the dramatic decline of seal population,and the ban of seal hunting since the 1960s led to its recovery of seal population.The seal population during the past century was primarily controlled by human activities and krill density.The reconstructed relation between seal population and vegetation abundance may offer new insights into Antarctic environment and ecology.

关 键 词：fecal sediment molecular marker human culture seal ecosystem climate 

分 类 号：P731.23[天文地球—海洋科学] X171[环境科学与工程—环境科学]