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The classification, called Environmental Domains of Antarctica, highlights environmental variables that can be used for a range of management activities in Antarctica including prioritising sites for protection and ongoing environmental monitoring.

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, designates the continent as an internationally managed, natural reserve devoted to peace and science. As a party to the Treaty and its  protocol on environmental protection, New Zealand is committed to the protection of Antarctica and its dependent and associated ecosystems.

However, until now there has been no environmental or geographic framework to identify and implement a representative network of specially protected areas that include important examples of plant and animal species, geological, glaciological or geomorphic features or important breeding colonies.

The classification builds on the success Landcare Research scientists achieved in developing a classification of New Zealand’s terrestrial environments (Land Environments of New Zealand or LENZ) and utilised eight environmental variables including temperature, solar radiation, wind speed, geology, land cover, and slope.

The Department of Conservation, who with Antarctica New Zealand commissioned the research with funding assistance from MFAT and MfE, says this experience was a reason for Landcare Research’s involvement.

“Protected areas are important worldwide, Antarctica included, and we are increasingly developing a systematic approach to ensure they truly represent values we need to protect,” Dr Harry Keys says.

“We need good, solid scientific rationale to make protected areas fit into a wider system.”

While the idea of an environmental classification for Antarctica is not new, the ability to create an objective classification has come about in the last 5 years through the combination of increased computing power and access to a variety of climate and geologic databases. Previous classifications were recognised as subjective, based on what the authors thought were key areas of difference within Antarctica.

Mr Morgan says two key differences are apparent with the new approach.

“Firstly, numerical data layers are used to describe various fundamental aspects of Antarctica’s climate, ice cover and geology. Secondly, is use of a computerised classification procedure that allows similar environments, including small distinctive environments that are otherwise easily overlooked at the continental scale, to be grouped based on their environmental character regardless of their geographical location.

“The classification is the culmination of 4 years of work, and in our opinion represents the best available environmental classification for the Antarctic Continent.”

Antarctica New Zealand’s environmental manager Neil Gilbert says the framework solves a “nutty” problem - developing a consistent framework for protected areas - that had perplexed the Antarctic community for a decade.

“Furthermore, we also see other opportunities to use these environmental domains such as in environmental monitoring and environmental reporting. For example, it could provide better guidelines on what we should monitor and just where to undertake that monitoring.”

Treaty members will decide in June whether to adopt the framework.