High Resolution Spatial Mapping of Human Footprint across Antarctica and Its Implications for the Strategic Conservation of Avifauna

Abstract

Human footprint models allow visualization of human spatial pressure across the globe. Up until now, Antarctica has been omitted from global footprint models, due possibly to the lack of a permanent human population and poor accessibility to necessary datasets. Yet Antarctic ecosystems face increasing cumulative impacts from the expanding tourism industry and national Antarctic operator activities, the management of which could be improved with footprint assessment tools. Moreover, Antarctic ecosystem dynamics could be modelled to incorporate human drivers. Here we present the first model of estimated human footprint across predominantly ice-free areas of Antarctica. To facilitate integration into global models, the Antarctic model was created using methodologies applied elsewhere with land use, density and accessibility features incorporated. Results showed that human pressure is clustered predominantly in the Antarctic Peninsula, southern Victoria Land and several areas of East Antarctica. To demonstrate the practical application of the footprint model, it was used to investigate the potential threat to Antarctica's avifauna by local human activities. Relative footprint values were recorded for all 204 of Antarctica's Important Bird Areas (IBAs) identified by BirdLife International and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Results indicated that formal protection of avifauna under the Antarctic Treaty System has been unsystematic and is lacking for penguin and flying bird species in some of the IBAs most vulnerable to human activity and impact. More generally, it is hoped that use of this human footprint model may help Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting policy makers in their decision making concerning avifauna protection and other issues including cumulative impacts, environmental monitoring, non-native species and terrestrial area protection.

Fig 1. Human footprint of the Antarctic continent and offshore islands (for inset, see Fig 2).

Fig 2. Human footprint map of the South Shetland Islands and northern Antarctic Peninsula.

Fig 3. Map of Antarctica showing the distribution of the continent’s Important Bird Area (IBAs) and the human footprint (HFP) scores (low score: low human footprint; high score: high human footprint).

Fig 4. Human footprint scores for Antarctic Important Bird Areas (IBAs).

Fig 5. Summary of information necessary to facilitate evidence-based environmental management decisions by Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting policy-makers.

The production of a human footprint mapping tool fills a gap in the information readily available to policy-makers.