Global Collembola on Deception Island

Area of Science:

• * Antarctic Entomology
• * Invasive Species Biology
• * Ecosystem Biosecurity

Background:

• * Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic, is a unique ecosystem.
• * High human visitation and geothermal activity create unusual terrestrial habitats.
• * Understanding Collembola (springtail) diversity is crucial for Antarctic ecosystem health.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To document new non-indigenous and indigenous springtail species on Deception Island.
• * To assess the current Collembola species richness and compare it to other Antarctic regions.
• * To investigate the drivers of non-indigenous species establishment and the impact of human activity.

Main Methods:

• * Recent field collections of Collembola on Deception Island.
• * Species identification and description, including new records.
• * Comparison of species composition with other Antarctic locations.
• * Assessment of human trampling impacts on soil fauna.

Main Results:

• * Three new non-indigenous springtail species (Deuteraphorura (Deuteraphorura) cebennaria, Mesaphorura macrochaeta, Proisotoma minuta) were recorded, increasing the island's non-indigenous count to six.
• * Two new indigenous species were also identified, bringing the total Collembola species to 14 (8 native, 6 non-indigenous).
• * Deception Island has a significantly higher number of non-indigenous springtails compared to other Antarctic sites.
• * Human trampling drastically reduced soil fauna densities to 1% of undisturbed levels.

Conclusions:

• * High human visitation and geothermal habitats facilitate non-indigenous springtail establishment on Deception Island.
• * Two recorded species pose a high risk for invasion in subantarctic regions, highlighting the need for stringent biosecurity.
• * Effective biosecurity measures are essential to protect vulnerable Antarctic ecosystems from invasive species.
• * Human trampling significantly impacts soil fauna, affecting both native and non-indigenous populations.