Litter and the Terrestrial Impact of Scott Base

Abstract

Scott Base covers 0.24kms an s situated on one of the few ice-free areas in Antarctica, next to the sea ice on Ross Island. This area has cold desert soils over permafrost and very little visible flora and fauna. Antarctica New Zealand is planning to monitor and minimise the impact of Scott Base on the terrestrial and marine environment, and this report assists with the assessment of the terrestrial impact in two ways. A survey was carried out to measure the type and frequency of litter in the soil around Scott Base. This survey found mainly wood fragments that seemed to originate from poor site management practi€s. The over all density of litter around Scott Base was low, but still impacted on the landscape. Monitoring for anthropogenic environmental impact in an extreme environment where there is large and small-scale heterogeneity requires careful choice of the correct parameters and statistical rigour. The main types of terrestrial impact at Scott Base are physical damage to the soil from disturbed permafrost and building structures and contamination from fuel oil, heavy metals and litter. The issues surrounding these problems are discussed and site specific suggestions made. Scott Base covers 0.24kms an s situated on one of the few ice-free areas in Antarctica, next to the sea ice on Ross Island. This area has cold desert soils over permafrost and very little visible flora and fauna. Antarctica New Zealand is planning to monitor and minimise the impact of Scott Base on the terrestrial and marine environment, and this report assists with the assessment of the terrestrial impact in two ways. A survey was carried out to measure the type and frequency of litter in the soil around Scott Base. This survey found mainly wood fragments that seemed to originate from poor site management practi€s. The over all density of litter around Scott Base was low, but still impacted on the landscape. Monitoring for anthropogenic environmental impact in an extreme environment where there is large and small-scale heterogeneity requires careful choice of the correct parameters and statistical rigour. The main types of terrestrial impact at Scott Base are physical damage to the soil from disturbed permafrost and building structures and contamination from fuel oil, heavy metals and litter. The issues surrounding these problems are discussed and site specific suggestions made.