The island of South Georgia is an environmental wonder. It is a haven of sporadic weather conditions, inconsistent aesthetic conditions, and multiple species. Located southeast of South America, the island is set up so that a portion of it has a tundra-like landscape while the others have arctic conditions. South Georgia has been through alot in past decades. It used to be a main location to hunt whales and seals. The consistent hunting of these species nearly wiped them out, but some of the species have been restored today. Now, there are also many penguins on the island that make for a diverse population. Humans are impacting the island of South Georgia tremendously. The effects of global warming are causing ice to melt and the island to become uninhabitable to some species in South Georgia. An example of this is thelack of krill in South Georgia in certain years. The island has always had a steady flow of krill in their unique krill river to feed species of seals and whales. However, in the years 2004 and 2009, the amount of krill has severely decreased. Scientists say that if the decrease in krill continues to occur, then the island will change drastically. The krill must have certain environmental conditions to survive, and those conditions are being tampered with by the effects of global warming. If the beautiful island of South Georgia is to be protected, then people must do more to try and slow down the effects of global warming and stay far away from this place when in search of a hunting location.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/south-georgia/brower-text/6
-Lauren.
I too read this article. It was very interesting that one place could have such a variety of different plants and animals. It also has a variety in its biography and climate. Its such a pretty place, and hopefully it faces no further damage as a result of global warming or other destructive human activities.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Neuburg
This article is very disheartening towards the condition of the krill and its counterparts. Despite the already steadying support of slowing down global warming, we ought to directly go in South Georgia to deal with the problem. Perhaps experimental population control (putting in unative krill) into the river to help support the population will help and satisfy the balance of the penguin food resource and food chain.
ReplyDeleteI found the area of South Georgia interesting in that it's climate is totally different in certain location. This area is a prime example of the effects of global warming. This area needs to be protected, since it is home to so many species of marine life.
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