Gruber Mountains (45179)
Antarctica, Antarctica
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Gruber Mountains
Central coordinates: Latitude: -71.3500, Longitude: 13.4667
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 4.99717
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Gruber Mountains form the northeastern part of the Wohlthat Mountains, Dronning Maud Land. Within a large cirque on the northern slopes of the Gruber Mountains lies Lake Unter-See, a meltwater lake of ~4.5 x 2.5 km in size enclosed by the Anuchin Glacier to the north. The IBA qualifies on the basis of the Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea) colony present at the site. The nearest permanent stations are Novolazarevskaja (RUS) and Maitri Station (IND) ~90 km to the northwest on the Princess Astrid Coast.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Approximately 10 000 pairs of Snow Petrel were reported breeding at several locations near Lake Unter-See in December 1983 (Konovalov 1964, Hiller et al. 1988, cited in Croxall et al. 1995), although a more modest number of 1000 individuals breeding in the surroundings of Lake Unter-See was reported in Hiller et al. (1995). Hiller et al. (1988) suggested that Snow Petrels have continuously occupied this area for at least 8000 years, and were also present at glacial maxima 15-18 ka BP and 35 ka BP. Non-bird biodiversity: None known.
Delineation rationale: 1.26 km radius around point.
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: None known.
Additional information
References: Croxall, J.P., Steele, W.K., McInnes, S.J. & Prince, P.A. 1995. Breeding distribution of the Snow Petrel Pagodroma nivea. Marine Ornithology 23: 69-99. Hiller, A., Wand, U., Kampf, H. & Stackebrandt, W. 1988. Occupation of the Antarctic continent by petrels during the past 35 000 years: Inferences from a 14C study of stomach oil deposits. Polar Biology 9: 69-77. Hiller, A., Hermichen, W.-D. & Wand, U. 1995. Radiocarbon-dated subfossil stomach oil deposits from petrel nesting sites: novel paleoenvironmental records from continental Antarctica. In G.T. Cook, D.D. Harkness, B.F. Miller and E.M. Scott (eds) Proceedings of the 15th International 14C Conference. Radiocarbon 37(2): 171-80.