Conference: Scientific Assessment of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Ecosystem: Environmental Stewardship in a Time of Dynamic Change

会议：麦克默多干谷生态系统的科学评估：动态变化时期的环境管理

• 批准号: 2409327
• 负责人: John Barrett
• 金额: $ 14.13万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-15 至 2025-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2409327&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Conference; Scientific; Assessment; McMurdo; Dry

Non-technical abstractThe McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free area on the Antarctic continent and are a place where life exists at the very extremes of environmental and physiological limits for life. Thus, it is a region that is vulnerable not only to anthropogenic climate change but also to direct human impacts. The proximity of the region to multiple international research stations operated by Antarctic Treaty member states makes it accessible to a significant number of scientific visitors each year. Moreover, anticipated increases in the number of commercial vessels operating in the Ross Sea may open the region to a greater number of tourist visits. Thus, it is necessary that scientists, logistic contractors, and managers operating in the region convene regularly to assess the state of the environment and define best practices that will maintain the nature of the area. International workshops addressing environmental management of McMurdo Dry Valleys region have been held in 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2016. The participants of these workshops were drawn from multiple national science programs, tour groups, logistics coordinators, and environmental consultants. This workshop will be the fifth in the series and aims to assess the efficacy of ongoing environmental practices, their influence on the environmental integrity of the region, and develop greater coordination among international Antarctic scientists and logisticians in efforts to update best practices for minimizing the impacts of human activity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys on the unique biological communities, geologic formations, and historical structures.Technical abstractThis international workshop on McMurdo Dry Valleys stewardship will address action items raised by previous workshops and make recommendations for future scientific, management, and logistical activities in the region. In the eight years since the most recent workshop the area has been challenged by aging infrastructure at McMurdo Station and field camps in the region, the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing urgency for scientists to assess their own environmental impacts, the potential for increased tourism, and dynamic changes in climate. Thus, it is important now that a fifth workshop be convened to assess the efficacy of ongoing environmental practices, their influence on the environmental integrity of the region, and update an international plan for documenting and minimizing broader environmental impacts. This workshop will also investigate impacts such as fuel use, energy efficiency of infrastructure, waste generation, and other contributions to carbon emissions, which were not included in prior workshops. This workshop aims to increase coordination among National Antarctic Research Programs in ongoing efforts to update best practices for minimizing scientific and tourism impacts on the McMurdo Dry Valleys and the unique biological communities, geologic formations, and historical structures located there.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术摘要麦克默多干谷是南极大陆最大的无冰区，也是生命在极端环境和生理极限下生存的地方。因此，这是一个不仅易受人为气候变化影响，而且易受人类直接影响的区域。该地区靠近《南极条约》成员国运营的多个国际研究站，因此每年都有大量的科学访问者前来参观。此外，预计在罗斯海作业的商船数量将增加，这可能会使该区域向更多的游客开放。因此，科学家、物流承包商和在该地区运营的管理人员有必要定期召开会议，评估环境状况，并确定保持该地区性质的最佳做法。1991年、1995年、1998年和2016年举办了麦克默多干谷地区环境管理国际研讨会。这些研讨会的参与者来自多个国家科学计划，旅游团，物流协调员和环境顾问。该讲习班将是该系列讲习班的第五次，旨在评估现行环境做法的效力及其对该地区环境完整性的影响，并加强国际南极科学家和后勤人员之间的协调，努力更新最佳做法，以尽量减少麦克默多干谷人类活动对独特生物群落、地质构造、技术摘要本次麦克默多干谷管理国际研讨会将讨论以前研讨会提出的行动项目，并为该地区未来的科学，管理和后勤活动提出建议。自最近一次研讨会以来的八年里，该地区一直面临着以下挑战：麦默多站和该地区野外营地的基础设施老化、COVID-19大流行、科学家评估自身环境影响的紧迫性日益增加、旅游业增长的潜力以及气候的动态变化。因此，现在必须召开第五次讲习班，以评估现行环境做法的效力及其对该区域环境完整性的影响，并更新一项记录和尽量减少更广泛环境影响的国际计划。本次研讨会还将调查燃料使用、基础设施的能源效率、废物产生以及其他导致碳排放的因素等影响，这些都是以前研讨会没有包括的。本次研讨会旨在加强国家南极研究计划之间的协调，不断努力更新最佳做法，以尽量减少科学和旅游业对麦克默多干谷和独特的生物群落，地质构造，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.