Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)

Data Sets

Services / Tools

Ancillary Descriptions

Are you using a browser that doesn't support JavaScript or have you disabled JavaScript?

If you have disabled JavaScript, you must re-enable JavaScript to use this page.
Or you can view this record using the Text Only Format.

Heard Island Vegetation Survey 1986-1987 and 1987-1988

Entry ID: Heard_veg_survey_86-88

[ Get Data ]
[ Update this Record ]

Summary

Abstract: Vegetation surveys were conducted on Heard Island during the 1986/87 and 1987/88 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). A stratified sampling approach was adopted. Given the limited time available for sampling, quadrats were placed to sample the bryophytic component of Hughes (1987) six visually recognizable broad vascular plant community categories as well as sampling ... distinct landscape features such as coastal areas, moraines, scoria cones, and lava fields. Ideally, this stratification would have ensured that the major environmental gradients on the island were detected. A total of 475, 1 x 1 m quadrats were surveyed during the 8-wk 1986/87 field period. Two hundred and fifty quadrats were randomly selected within 25 (10 x 10 m) sites. One hundred and eighty quadrats were positioned on transects over distinct landscape features. The remaining 45 quadrats were randomly located in visually different areas in isolated localities.

Access to Heard Island is logistically difficult. Field time for our survey was short. Travel by foot was slow due to rough terrain and the use of helicopters was restricted by unfavorable weather conditions. Field work was conducted in three major ice-free areas on the island: the northwest areas encompassing Laurens Peninsula, Azorella Peninsula, and Mt. Drygalski; the eastern Spit Bay area; and the southern Long Beach area. The number of quadrats in each area reflects the time available (Laurens Peninsula, 119; Azorella Peninsula, 40; Mt. Drygalski, 10; Spit Bay, 250; Long Beach, 45; other areas 11.

In each quadrat the following habitat characteristics were noted: location (mapped); geomorphological features (sand, moraine, clinker lava, and lava flow), and general notes on topography; altitude; general slope of the quadrat (irregularities in clinker lava sites made slope difficult to assess); aspect; unconsolidated substrate depth to bedrock or a maximum of 100 cm, using a 1-cm-diameter metal probe (this may be an organic base such as peat or an inorganic substrate such as moraine); availability of water, rated on a subjective five-point exponential scale ranging from 1 (very dry) to 5 (surface free water); exposure to wind, rated on a subjective five-point scale ranging from 1 (very exposed) to 5 (very protected); availability of light, rated on a five-point subjective scale ranging from 1 (exposed to full light conditions) to 5 (deep shade).

In each quadrat, cover values using the Braun-Blanquet (1932) scale were recorded for all vascular plants, bryophytes (as a collective unit), bare ground, and rock. Notes on individual cover values for major bryophyte taxa were taken, and samples of bryophyte taxa were collected for identification.

This work now falls under the auspices of the RiSCC project (ASAC_1015).

The fields in this dataset are:

Region
Site
Formation
Environ
Altitude (m)
Species

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Description: Download point for the data

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

	N: -53.0	S: -53.0	E: 73.0	W: 72.0
Min Altitude: 2 M Max Altitude: 220 M

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1986-11-16

Stop Date: 1987-01-21

Start Date: 1987-09-18

Stop Date: 1988-03-02

Location Keywords

OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN

OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN

GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > HEARD AND MCDONALD ISLANDS

Science Keywords

BIOSPHERE > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > ALPINE/TUNDRA

BIOSPHERE > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > ISLANDS

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

Platform

FIELD SURVEYS

Access Constraints These data are available for download from the url given below.

Use Constraints This data set conforms to the PICCCBY Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

Ancillary Keywords

BRYOPHYTES

HEARD ISLAND

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

Data Center

Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia

Data Center URL: http://data.aad.gov.au

Data Center Personnel
Name: DATA OFFICER AADC Phone: +61 3 6232 3244 Fax: +61 3 6232 3351 Email: metadata at aad.gov.au Contact Address: Australian Antarctic Division 203 Channel Highway City: Kingston Province or State: Tasmania Postal Code: 7050 Country: Australia

Distribution

Distribution Media: HTTP

Distribution Size: 48 kb

Distribution Format: Access

Fees: Free

Personnel

DANA BERGSTROM

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: +61 3 6232 3209

Fax: +61 3 6232 3351

Email: dana.bergstrom at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

DAVE CONNELL

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +61 3 6232 3244

Fax: +61 3 6232 3351

Email: dave.connell at aad.gov.au

Contact Address:

Australian Antarctic Division

203 Channel Highway

City: Kingston

Province or State: Tasmania

Postal Code: 7050

Country: Australia

Publications/References

Bergstrom, D.M, Whinnam, J. and Belbin, L (2002) A Classification of subantarctic Heard Island vegetation. Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research. 34: 169-177

Bergstrom, D.M. and Selkirk, P.M. (2000) Terrestrial Vegetation and environments on Heard Island. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 133, 33-46

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2004-07-06

Last DIF Revision Date: 2009-01-21

Reformat as FGDC document

View Text Only Format

[ Update this Record ]