As climate change transforms the planet, some organisms may flee their historic habitats for more hospitable areas. That can create challenges for the food webs and ecosystems already there, especially if those natural systems are delicate, as is the case in Antarctica.
An article published Friday (November 19) in Trends in Ecology & Evolution details the threats that nonnative species pose to Antarctica as climate change renders the landscape increasingly habitable to the seeds, insects, and other stowaways human travelers unknowingly traffic to the once-isolated continent. Right now, preventative measures are guided by the Antarctic Treaty, which lays out standards for the protection and management of the continent for its 54 signatory nations. The Scientist spoke to article author Dana Bergstrom, an applied ecologist with the University of Wollongong and the Australian Antarctic Division of Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, about the specific risks facing Antarctica’s endemic ...
