全新世南极企鹅盛衰与栖息地变化及其对大气海洋变化的响应

企鹅是南极典型海洋生物，对气候环境变化非常敏感，其种群数量、取食生境和迁徙变化等对南极气候环境与生态系统具有重要的指示意义。然而，对于企鹅与南大洋生态系统、多要素的复杂大气海洋系统的联系尚无集成研究，限制了对企鹅古生态变化的系统性认识。本研究计划以环南极典型无冰区为重点研究区域，以企鹅粪土沉积物以及其中的毛骨等残体为载体，应用元素、同位素、生物地球化学、古气候学和大气科学等多学科交叉的研究方法，在过去研究的基础上，从环南极企鹅数量重建出发，通过企鹅食谱的变化间接求证磷虾和南大洋生态系统在历史时期的变化；通过企鹅数量的时空分布论证企鹅栖息地的历史动态；综合对比陆地和海洋记录中的气候要素时间序列，反演企鹅种群盛衰和栖息地变化对海洋、大气变化的响应过程，为研究历史时期气候和古生态的关系提供一个新的研究角度，并为评估和预测未来气候变化对南极生态系统的影响提供科学依据。

Penguins are typical species of Antarctica, and are sensitive to climatic and environmental changes. Penguin demographics, feeding behavior, and breeding habitats have important implications for Antarctic climate, environment, and marine ecosystems. However, to-date there is no integrated study focused on the linkage between penguin, Southern Ocean ecosystem and the multifactorial changes in the atmospheric and oceanic system. These shortages limited our insights into the systematic changes in penguin paleoecology. In this project, we plan to use ornithogenic sediment profiles as well as the penguin residues (penguin feathers, bones, etc.) as carriers from typical areas of circum-Antarctica, and apply multidisciplinary approaches that combine elements, stable isotopes, biogeochemistry, paleoclimate, and atmospheric science. On the basis of previous studies and new reconstructions of penguin populations, we will illustrate the historical variations of krill and Southern Ocean ecosystem from the changes in penguin diets; picture the colony dynamics through the spatio-temporal distribution of penguin populations; reconstruct the responses of penguin dynamics to the changes in atmospheric and oceanic system by synthesizing the sequences of paleoclimatic factors from terrestrial and marine records. This study will provide a new perspective for investigating climate changes and paleoecology in historical context and estimating and predicting the influence of the future climate on the Antarctic ecosystem.