Understanding the impact of change on Australia's World Heritage subantarctic islands

Metadata record for data from AAS (ASAC) Project 3095.Public Global warming and the impact of feral animals or weedy plant species are causing changes in terrestrial sub-Antarctic ecosystems. We are examining how sub-Antarctic organisms and ecosystems will respond to this change. In doing so we will contribute to the conservation of these remarkable ecosystems for which Australia has a large responsibility.Project objectives:Australia's unique sub-Antarctic World Heritage Areas are experiencing rapid climate change and their biodiversity is under threat from alien species invasion. Heard Island is experiencing some of the fastest climate change in our region, which is evidenced by extensive changes in vegetation communities. This change appears to be exacerbating the expansion of the alien grass species Poa annua. MacDonald Island has recently expanded in surface area due to volcanic activity. On Macquarie Island, as well as undergoing climate change, rabbit numbers have recently increased causing major ecosystem devastation. Furthermore, the AAD has begun remediation of some contaminated sites in the station vicinity. This project is designed to understand the impact of these changes to these rare island ecosystems.Objective 1 Quantify change in terrestrial ecosystems at a range of spatial and temporal scales on Heard and McDonald Islands and Macquarie Island.Objective 2 Examine the biology, life history strategy and distribution of the indigenous Azorella selago and Acaena magellanica, Rannunculus crassipes and the alien grass species Poa annua on Heard Island and indigenous Poa littorsa and Carex trifida on Macquarie Island.Objective 3 Examine the impact of human induced perturbations (rabbit and rodents, petrochemical contamination and the rubbish tip) at varying spatial levels on Macquarie Island before and after management actions.Objective 4 To contribute to furthering our understanding of subantarctic microbial diversity.Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report:Progress against objectives:Objective 1: We have focussed on Macquarie Island this year. We have delivered a globally significant paper quantifying change in plant communities on the island since 2001. We also completed a major field season in which we revisited and examined sites established in 2001 with regard to change in plant and invertebrate communities and developed a new sampling method for the rapid collection of field data to train satellite image interpretation and terrain analysis of the distribution of plant communities. This included the design and construction of close-range aerial photography equipment, the classification of landforms on Macquarie Island, based on terrain characteristics and the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and design of a stratified random sampling regime.Objective 2: We focused on examining the extent of northern populations of Poa littorosa and Carex trifida and added an additional component of examining the health of Azorella maquariensis and genetci variation in Azorella spp, Acaena magellanica and Poa annua across the subantarctic region.Objective 3: We focussed on the examination of the impact of rabbits, at a variety of scales across the island. We provided assistance to a sister project with regards to the impact of petrochemical contamination on invertebrate communities.Objective 4: We collected microbial mat samples from selected sites in collaboration with the Belgium AMBIO project. Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report:Progress against objectives:Objective 1: We have focussed on Macquarie Island this year. We have delivered a second globally significant paper concerning change in plant communities on the island since 2001. We also completed a major field season in which we revisited and examined sites established in 2001 and 2008/09 with regard to change in plant communities using the sampling method developed in 2008/09 for the rapid collection of field data to train satellite image interpretation and terrain analysis of the distribution of plant communities. This included assessing the results of the first field sampling season and the design of a follow-up stratified random sampling regime.We have completed sample analysis of invertebrates collected last season and data analysis and ms preparation is underway.Objective 2: We focused on the health of the endemic cushion, Azorella maquariensis. Last summer the CI of the project, Dr Bergstrom identified that A. macquariensis was undergoing rapid dieback. Substantial efforts during the year, both in the field and in the laboratory have been focused on this rapidly emerging issue.Objective 3: We focussed on the examination of the impact of rabbits, at a variety of scales across the island. We provided assistance to a sister project with regards to the impact of petrochemical contamination on invertebrate communities.Objective 4: Microbial mat analysis is under way with colleagues in Belgium.

本数据集为AAS（ASAC）项目3095的公开数据元记录。全球变暖、野生动物入侵与杂草植物物种扩散正驱动亚南极陆地生态系统发生改变。本项目旨在探究亚南极生物与生态系统对此类变化的响应机制，以此助力保护这些澳大利亚肩负重大保护责任的珍稀独特生态系统。

项目目标：澳大利亚独特的亚南极世界遗产地正经历快速气候变化，其生物多样性正遭受外来物种入侵的威胁。赫德岛正经历本区域内最快的气候变化之一，植被群落的广泛变化便是明证，此类变化似乎加剧了外来草本物种早熟禾（Poa annua）的扩散。麦克唐纳岛近期因火山活动导致表面积扩大。在麦夸里岛，除气候变化外，野兔数量近期激增，引发了严重的生态系统破坏。此外，AAD已开始对站区周边部分受污染场地进行修复。本项目旨在厘清上述变化对这些珍稀岛屿生态系统的影响。

目标1：量化赫德岛、麦克唐纳岛与麦夸里岛多时空尺度下的陆地生态系统变化。
目标2：探究赫德岛本土垫状南极草（Azorella selago）、麦哲伦龙芽草（Acaena magellanica）、厚叶毛茛（Rannunculus crassipes）以及外来草本早熟禾（Poa annua）的生物学特性、生活史策略与分布情况，同时探究麦夸里岛本土滨早熟禾（Poa littorsa）与三齿苔草（Carex trifida）的相关内容。
目标3：探究麦夸里岛不同空间尺度下，人为扰动（野兔、啮齿动物、石油化工污染以及垃圾堆场）在管理措施实施前后的生态影响。
目标4：深化对亚南极微生物多样性的认知。

摘编自2008-2009年度进度报告：
目标完成进展：
目标1：本年度研究重点聚焦于麦夸里岛。已发表一篇具有全球影响力的论文，量化了该岛自2001年以来的植物群落变化。同时完成了一次大规模野外考察：重访并检视了2001年设立的样地，以探究植物与无脊椎动物群落的变化；开发了一套全新的野外数据快速采集方法，用于训练卫星影像解译与植物群落分布地形分析模型，其中包括近程航空摄影设备的设计与搭建、基于地形特征与归一化差分植被指数（Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI）的麦夸里岛地貌分类，以及分层随机抽样方案的设计。
目标2：我们重点考察了滨早熟禾（Poa littorosa）与三齿苔草（Carex trifida）北部种群的分布范围，并新增了一项研究内容：调研亚南极区域内垫状草属（Azorella spp.）、麦哲伦龙芽草（Acaena magellanica）以及早熟禾（Poa annua）的健康状况与遗传变异情况。
目标3：我们重点考察了全岛不同尺度下野兔的生态影响，并协助一项姊妹项目开展石油化工污染对无脊椎动物群落影响的相关研究。
目标4：我们与比利时AMBIO项目合作，从选定样地采集了微生物垫样本。

摘编自2009-2010年度进度报告：
目标完成进展：
目标1：本年度研究重点仍聚焦于麦夸里岛。已发表第二篇关于该岛自2001年以来植物群落变化的具有全球影响力的论文。同时完成了一次大规模野外考察：重访并检视了2001年与2008/2009年设立的样地，采用2008/2009年开发的野外数据快速采集方法，探究植物群落变化，该方法用于训练卫星影像解译与植物群落分布地形分析模型。本阶段工作包括评估首次野外采样季的结果，以及设计后续分层随机抽样方案。目前已完成上一采样季采集的无脊椎动物样本分析，数据分析与论文撰写工作正在推进中。
目标2：我们重点关注特有垫状植物麦夸里垫状草（Azorella maquariensis）的健康状况。上一夏季，本项目首席研究员伯格斯特龙博士发现麦夸里垫状草（Azorella macquariensis）正经历快速枯萎。本年度在野外与实验室均开展了大量工作，聚焦于这一快速出现的问题。
目标3：我们重点考察了全岛不同尺度下野兔的生态影响，并协助一项姊妹项目开展石油化工污染对无脊椎动物群落影响的相关研究。
目标4：我们与比利时合作伙伴开展的微生物垫样本分析工作正在进行中。