Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2021 Nov 4;16(11):e0257950. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257950. eCollection 2021.
As in many parts of the world, the management of environmental science research in Antarctica relies on cost-benefit analysis of negative environmental impact versus positive scientific gain. Several studies have examined the environmental impact of Antarctic field camps, but very little work looks at how the placement of these camps influences scientific research. In this study, we integrate bibliometrics, geospatial analysis, and historical research to understand the relationship between field camp placement and scientific production in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of East Antarctica. Our analysis of the scientific corpus from 1907-2016 shows that, on average, research sites have become less dispersed and closer to field camps over time. Scientific output does not necessarily correspond to the number of field camps, and constructing a field camp does not always lead to a subsequent increase in research in the local area. Our results underscore the need to consider the complex historical and spatial relationships between field camps and research sites in environmental management decision-making in Antarctica and other protected areas.
与世界上许多其他地区一样，南极环境科学研究的管理依赖于对负面环境影响与积极科学收益的成本效益分析。有几项研究考察了南极野外营地对环境的影响，但很少有研究关注这些营地的位置如何影响科学研究。在这项研究中，我们整合了文献计量学、地理空间分析和历史研究，以了解东南极麦克默多干谷野外营地的位置与科学产出之间的关系。我们对 1907 年至 2016 年科学文献的分析表明，研究地点的分散度逐渐降低，且与野外营地的距离逐渐缩短。科研产出不一定与野外营地的数量成正比，而且建造一个野外营地并不一定能在当地带来后续的研究增加。我们的研究结果强调了在南极和其他保护区的环境管理决策中，需要考虑野外营地和研究地点之间复杂的历史和空间关系。
