scholarly journals Antarctic biogeography revisited: updating the Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 836-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleks Terauds ◽  
Jasmine R. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Biogeographic Regions ◽  
The Antarctic

scholarly journals Antarctica's wilderness has declined to the exclusion of biodiversity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel I. Leihy ◽  
Bernard W.T. Coetzee ◽  
Fraser Morgan ◽  
Ben Raymond ◽  
Justine D. Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Natural Reserve ◽  
Wilderness Areas ◽  
Biogeographic Regions ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Specially Protected Areas

Recent assessments of the biodiversity value of Earth's dwindling wilderness areas have emphasized the whole of Antarctica as a crucial wilderness in need of urgent protection. Whole-of-continent designations for Antarctic conservation remain controversial, however, because of widespread human impacts and frequently used provisions in Antarctic law for the designation of specially protected areas to conserve wilderness values, species and ecosystems. Here we investigate the extent to which Antarctica's wilderness encompasses its biodiversity. We assembled a comprehensive record of human activity on the continent (~ 2.7 million localities) and used it to identify unvisited areas ≥ 10 000 km2 (i.e. Antarctica's wilderness areas) and their representation of biodiversity. We show that, at best, 7 770 000 km2 of wilderness remains, covering 56.9% of the continent's surface area, however it captures few important biodiversity features. Important Bird Areas, ice-free Antarctic Conservation Biogeographic Regions crucial for biodiversity and areas with verified biodiversity records are largely excluded. Our results demonstrate that Antarcticas wilderness has already declined to the exclusion of much of its biodiversity. But that on a continent set aside as a natural reserve, increased regulation of human activity and urgent expansion of the Antarctic specially protected area network could feasibly reverse this trend.

Six species in one: evidence of cryptic speciation in the Hygrobates fluviatilis complex (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Hygrobatidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Pešić ◽  
Mahdieh Asadi ◽  
Mirela Cimpean ◽  
Miroslawa Dabert ◽  
Yunus Esen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Cryptic Speciation ◽  
Dna Barcodes ◽  
Water Mites ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Biogeographic Regions ◽  
Coi Sequences ◽  
The Antarctic

Water mites of the genus Hygrobates are widely distributed in all biogeographic regions except the Antarctic. Palaearctic Hygrobates species with reticulated soft integument generally have been considered as representatives of one common and widely distributed species, Hygrobates fluviatilis Strøm, 1768. Based on partial COI sequences (DNA-barcodes) and statistical analysis of morphological data, we show that these mites belong to six distinct lineages. Two of them are widely distributed in Central Europe: Hygrobates fluviatilis here redescribed based on a neotype designated from the type locality in Norway, and a species new to science, H. arenarius Smit & Pešić. The four remaining lineages represent additional species new to science that appear to have more restricted distributions: H. corsicus Pešić & Smit (Corsica, Sardinia), H. marezaensis Pešić & Dabert (Montenegro, Albania, Croatia), H. turcicus Pešić, Esen & Dabert (Turkey), and H. persicus Pešić & Asadi (Iran, E Turkey). Statistical morphometric analysis reveals that the latter two species cannot be separated on morphological characters and should be considered true cryptic species. We provide data concerning biology and geographical distributions together with a key to all species of the complex.

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