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Terrestrial habitats on sub-Antarctic Marion Island: their vegetation, edaphic attributes, distribution and response to climate change
Abstract
The vegetation, soil chemistry characteristics and altitudinal
distributions of 23 habitats in 7 habitat complexes on sub-Antarctic Marion
Island (47°S, 38°E) are described. The habitat complexes (number of habitats
in complex) are: Coastal Salt-spray Complex (2); Fellfield Complex (2); Slope
Complex (6); Biotic Grassland Complex (3); Biotic Herbfield Complex (3); Mire
Complex (6); Polar Desert Complex (1). The habitat classification closely reflects
the between-habitat variation in the relative magnitudes of the main forcing
variables that determine ecological succession on the island (moisture, exposure,
parent soil material, salt-spray and manuring and trampling by seals and seabirds).
Hence, it can serve as a framework against which to detect and evaluate ecological
responses to the marked climatic change currently occurring in the sub-Antarctic.
Suggestions are made on how the habitats might respond to climatic change (warming,
drying) and other perturbations (increasing or decreasing influences of salt-spray
and manuring).
South African Journal of Botany 67 (4) 2001, 641-654
distributions of 23 habitats in 7 habitat complexes on sub-Antarctic Marion
Island (47°S, 38°E) are described. The habitat complexes (number of habitats
in complex) are: Coastal Salt-spray Complex (2); Fellfield Complex (2); Slope
Complex (6); Biotic Grassland Complex (3); Biotic Herbfield Complex (3); Mire
Complex (6); Polar Desert Complex (1). The habitat classification closely reflects
the between-habitat variation in the relative magnitudes of the main forcing
variables that determine ecological succession on the island (moisture, exposure,
parent soil material, salt-spray and manuring and trampling by seals and seabirds).
Hence, it can serve as a framework against which to detect and evaluate ecological
responses to the marked climatic change currently occurring in the sub-Antarctic.
Suggestions are made on how the habitats might respond to climatic change (warming,
drying) and other perturbations (increasing or decreasing influences of salt-spray
and manuring).
South African Journal of Botany 67 (4) 2001, 641-654
