Pole
of Possibility research
Legacy An important goal of the ‘Pole of Possibility’ expedition is to have
a research legacy. Specifically, we plan to undertake empirical research that
will help (i) to raise
awareness the importance of polar regions to people and (ii) to demonstrate
the impact that climate change will have on Polar regions. Below we outline
two research projects that undertaken as part of the PoP
expedition. |
Measurement of the impacts of climate change on the release of
microbial carbon within the Antarctica ice sheet. Each
year, around 3.5x10e21 microbial cells are flushed from glaciers
and ice sheets worldwide. This loss of cells release carbon that was
previously locked in the ice. Current estimates suggest that this equates to
around 1-2% of the carbon fixed on glacier surfaces annually. With predicted
climate change, it is likely that the volume of carbon released from glaciers
and ice sheets will increase. The current estimates for this type of carbon
loss are, however, extremely crude. For example, the models for Antarctica
are based on data from the Antarctic Peninsula and at the South Pole only.
There are currently little or no data on the microbial content of glaciers in
the rest of Antarctica. It is proposed that the ‘Pole of Possibility’
expedition will help fill some of this knowledge gap by collecting snow
samples along the expedition route. These samples will subsequently be
analysed for carbon content. This new data will then feed into more robust models of carbon fluxes on the Antarctic ice sheet,
which in turn will allow better assessment of the amount of carbon that might
be released from Antarctica as a result of global warming.. |
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Economic valuation of the ecosystem services derived from Antarctica Natural environments provide a range
of fundamental goods and services (termed ‘ecosystem services’), which are
essential in supporting human existence, for health, well-being and the
provision of livelihoods. In recent years there has been an increasing
research and policy interest to understand how people benefit from natural
environments and to assess the economic value of the services delivered
(Costanza et al, 1997; MEA, 2005; TEEB, 2010). Although there has been
significant progress towards understanding the value of ecosystem services
across most biomes, one biome remains conspicuous in terms of research
effort: Polar Regions. Polar regions provide a wide range
of provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting ecosystem services,
which directly and indirectly benefit people (Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, 2005). For example, the Southern Ocean provide around one sixth
of the global fish take (Kock, 1992). The polar ice
caps store approximately 80% of the planet’s fresh water: which helps to
regulate sea levels and are also important carbon sinks. Polar regions also
deliver significant cultural services including aesthetic, recreational,
inspirational, spiritual and educational benefits. To date, there are only a
handful of studies that have assessed the economic value of Antarctic
ecosystem services, and no study has undertaken a holistic assessment. As
part of the ‘Pole of Possibility’ expedition, it is proposed that we
interview scientists at various polar research stations to gather evidence
that would allow a robust and comprehensive assessment of Antarctica’s
potential to the delivery and regulate global ecosystem services. |
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Click here for further details of the ‘Pole of
Possibility’ expedition
You can also contact me on mec@aber.ac.uk