Abstract:

In this paper, we synthesized and analysed the structure and the interrelationship of the four ecosytems: terrestrial ecosystem, freshwater ecosystem, intertidal ecosystem, and shallow sea ecosystem in Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica, based on the research results during the past 10 years in this region, and also on the related results in other regions of Antarctica. Through our analysis, the nutrient flow integrates the four ecosystems as a whole. During the process of nutrient flow, the role of animals is very important, for example, sea birds redistribute the nutrient among the four ecosystems through their activity of breeding, feeding etc. The physical impact is also unignorable, for example, the rainfall, runoff, and tidal current bringing the nutrients from one ecosystem to another.