Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Volume 23, Issue 9, Pages 1431-1436Publisher
SCIENCE PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/S1001-0742(10)60601-8
Keywords
fecal sediment; molecular marker; human culture; seal ecosystem; climate
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [40730107]
- National Key Technology R&D Program of China [2006BAB18B07]
- National Basic Research Program of China [2009CB42160X]
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry Foundation [OGL-200606]
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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.
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