title: Ecosystem evolution of seal colony and the influencing factors in the 20th century on Fildes Peninsula, West Antarctica.
abstract: As the top most predator in Antarctica, the seal is a unique indicator of Antarctic environment and climate changes. In this study, we collected a sediment core from the Fildes Peninsula of West Antarctica, and used cholesterol, cholestanol, epicoprostanol, coprostanol, and seal hair numbers as the proxy indicators of seal population size and phytol as of general vegetation, and we reconstructed the 20th century history of variation of the seal population and vegetation abundance on this island. The sealing industry in the early 20th century caused the dramatic decline of seal population, and the ban of seal hunting since the 1960s led to its recovery of seal population. The seal population during the past century was primarily controlled by human activities and krill density. The reconstructed relation between seal population and vegetation abundance may offer new insights into Antarctic environment and ecology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science & Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China. jane85@mail.ustc.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Liguang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xinming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D005075:Biological Evolution; D010872:Caniformia / Q000502:physiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D017753:Ecosystem; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006802:Human Activities; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis; D011156:Population Density
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals