scholarly journals Uncovered Microbial Diversity in Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Communities Sampling Three Representative Locations of the Victoria Land

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 942 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Coleine ◽  
Nuttapon Pombubpa ◽  
Laura Zucconi ◽  
Silvano Onofri ◽  
Benedetta Turchetti ◽  
...  

The endolithic niche represents an ultimate refuge to microorganisms in the Mars-like environment of the Antarctic desert. In an era of rapid global change and desertification, the interest in these border ecosystems is increasing due to speculation on how they maintain balance and functionality at the dry limits of life. To assure a reliable estimation of microbial diversity, proper sampling must be planned in order to avoid the necessity of re-sampling as reaching these remote locations is risky and requires tremendous logistical and economical efforts. In this study, we seek to determine the minimum number of samples for uncovering comprehensive bacterial and fungal diversity, comparing communities in strict vicinity to each other. We selected three different locations of the Victoria Land (Continental Antarctica) at different altitudes and showing sandstone outcrops of a diverse nature and origin—Battleship promontory (834 m above sea level (a.s.l.), Southern VL), Trio Nunatak (1,470 m a.s.l., Northern VL) and Mt New Zealand (3,100 m a.s.l., Northern VL). Overall, we found that a wider sampling would be required to capture the whole amplitude of microbial diversity, particularly in Northern VL. We concluded that the inhomogeneity of the rock matrix and the stronger environmental pressure at higher altitudes may force the communities to a higher local diversification.

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Smykla ◽  
Beata Krzewicka ◽  
Karina Wilk ◽  
Steven Emslie ◽  
Lucyna Śliwa

Additions to the lichen flora of Victoria Land, Antarctica Lichens of relict penguin colonies and sites affected by active penguin colonies were investigated in Victoria Land, Ross Sea sector, continental Antarctica. A total of 17 coastal sites, seven in northern and ten in southern Victoria Land, have been investigated across 7° of latitude from 71° to 78°S. Altogether 40 taxa of lichens have been identified. Four of the recorded species are new to the Antarctic - Caloplaca erecta, C. soropelta, C. tominii and Physcia tenella; two species are new to the Victoria Land area - Lecania nylanderiana and Lecanora polytropa. The first lichen records from Beaufort Island are also provided. Data presented here expand the knowledge on the occurrence, diversity and distribution of Victoria Land lichens.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Smykla ◽  
Nataliia Iakovenko ◽  
Miloslav Devetter ◽  
Łukasz Kaczmarek

This work contributes to the knowledge on distribution, diversity and ecology of the Antarctic soil biota. Different soil habitats from several ice-free coastal sites were sampled along the Victoria Land across 7° of latitude from 71° to 78°S during five austral summer seasons between 2003/04 and 2011/12. In this paper we report preliminary data on soil tardigrades (water bears) from Edmondson Point, Northern Victoria Land. Tardigrades were found to be present in 23 of the 41 examined soil samples (56%). Their presence was associated exclusively with soil samples collected from bryophytes communities and under cyanobacterial mats, whereas they were completely absent in fellfield and ornithogenic soils. Tardigrades were least numerous among all soil micrometazoans, their abundance in the positive samples was very variable and ranged from 3 to 1824 individuals per 100 g of soil DW. High water content seemed to be the major factor determining occurrence of tardigrades in the soils investigated. On the other hand low water content and toxic compounds from penguin guano seemed to act as a strong constraint on their existence in the Antarctic soils. Taxonomic evaluation of the extracted tardigrades revealed presence of only two species belonging to class Eutardigrada: Acutuncus antarcticus (Richters, 1904) and Milnesium antarcticum Tumanov, 2006. While A. antarcticus has already been reported previously as the most widespread and abundant tardigrade across the Victoria Land, the information on M. antarcticum is novel, both for Victoria Land and the continental Antarctica.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4966 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-336
Author(s):  
ÁLVARO L. PEÑA CANTERO

The Balleny Islands, an isolated archipelago located 240 km off the coast of Victoria Land (East Antarctica), are separated from the Antarctic continental shelf by waters more than 2000 m deep. The benthic hydroid fauna of these islands is little known, with only 25 species reported so far. The present study contributes to a better knowledge of the benthic hydrozoans inhabiting this archipelago by studying a small collection held at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Invertebrate Collection at Wellington, New Zealand. Sixteen species of benthic hydroids were found in the collection, belonging to nine families and 12 genera of Leptothecata. Kirchenpaueriidae and Oswaldella, with three species each, are the most speciose family and genus. Ten species represent new records for the region. The total number of benthic hydroid species known from the islands is raised to 34. 


Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Claudia Brunetti ◽  
Henk Siepel ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
Pietro Paolo Fanciulli ◽  
Francesco Nardi ◽  
...  

In the harsh Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, invertebrates are currently confined to sparse and restricted ice free areas, where they have survived on multi-million-year timescales in refugia. The limited dispersal abilities of these invertebrate species, their specific habitat requirements, and the presence of geographical barriers can drastically reduce gene flow between populations, resulting in high genetic differentiation. On continental Antarctica, mites are one of the most diverse invertebrate groups. Recently, two new species of the free living prostigmatid mite genus Stereotydeus Berlese, 1901 were discovered, bringing the number of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic species of this genus up to 15, of which 7 occur along the coast of Victoria Land and in the Transantarctic Mountains. To examine the biodiversity of Stereotydeus spp., the present study combines phylogenetic, morphological and population genetic data of specimens collected from nine localities in Victoria Land. Genetically distinct intraspecific groups are spatially isolated in northern Victoria Land, while, for other species, the genetic haplogroups more often occur sympatrically in southern Victoria Land. We provide a new distribution map for the Stereotydeus species of Victoria Land, which will assist future decisions in matters of the protection and conservation of the unique Antarctic terrestrial fauna.


1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euan C. Young

New Zealand has direct responsibility for the conservation and protection of five subantarctic island groups (Snares, Bounty, Antipodes, Auckland and Campbell), all of which are protected within National reserves. New Zealand also claims the Ross Dependency in Antarctica sharing conservation responsibility with others within the Antarctic Treaty regime. The subantarctic islands' ecosystems are of interest for their range of species, for their dependence on marine nutrients, for their vulnerability to introduction by alien species, and for illustrating the outcomes of independent evolutionary experiments. Each is characterized by a unique assemblage of plant and animal species, of which the diversity of oceanic birds (especially their albatrosses, petrels and penguins) and of the changes with latitude of their vegetation cover is internationally regarded. They form an interesting contrast to the sparse biota of the Balleny Islands and continental Antarctica. The fauna and flora on these subantarctic islands are now substantially catalogued and the impact of alien species in part understood, but ecological studies have been hampered by isolation and difficult access. Ecological research is needed to ensure that management strategies for each island are well founded on an understanding of their individual ecosystems. By way of contrast, ecological research has flourished in Antarctica with many long-term programmes. This difference is attributed to the way research is promoted and supported in the two regions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 703-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Cannone ◽  
M. Guglielmin

AbstractThe relationships between vegetation patterns and periglacial features and their underlying ecology are still poorly understood and lack specific investigations in Antarctica. Here we present the results of vegetation colonization of different types of sorted patterned ground and gelifluction features (lobes and terracettes) at four sites in northern Victoria Land. This paper aims to understand the relationships between vegetation and the most widespread periglacial features in Victoria Land, discuss the role of periglacial features and vegetation in determining the ground surface temperature, and assess whether periglacial features provide ecological niches for vegetation colonization and development. Vegetation patterns are influenced by the feature type, mainly relating to patterned ground and debris island versus gelifluction features. The relations between vegetation and the periglacial features investigated in continental Antarctic are similar to those described for the Arctic, although in this part of the Antarctic vegetation is exclusively composed of cryptogams. Frost heave, ground texture and relief associated with different types of periglacial features provide a range of ecological niches sustaining vegetation biodiversity. Our data confirm the importance of periglacial features in shaping flora and vegetation biodiversity, as previously assessed only for the soil fauna in continental Antarctic.


Taxonomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-141
Author(s):  
Claudia Brunetti ◽  
Henk Siepel ◽  
Pietro Paolo Fanciulli ◽  
Francesco Nardi ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
...  

Two new mite species belonging to the genus Stereotydeus Berlese, 1901 were discovered from locations along the coast of Victoria Land, continental Antarctica. Previous records of this genus in the area under study only reported the presence of S. belli and S. mollis. Although those studies included no morphological analyses, it has since been assumed that only these species were present within the area. Specimens of S. ineffabilis sp. nov. and S. nunatakis sp. nov. were obtained, sometimes in sympatry, from four different localities in Central and South Victoria Land and are here described and illustrated using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Features useful for identification of the two new Stereotydeus species include the size of the specimens, the length of the apical segment of pedipalps, the presence/absence of division of the femora, the position of solenidia, the shape and disposition of the rhagidiform organs on the tarsi, the shape of the apical setae of the tarsi, the numbers of aggenital setae and the position of the anal opening. A key to 14 of the 15 currently described Antarctic and sub-Antarctic Stereotydeus species is provided.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graciéle Cunha Alves de Menezes ◽  
Paulo E. A. S. Câmara ◽  
Otávio Henrique Bezerra Pinto ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
Micheline Carvalho-Silva ◽  
...  

1983 ◽  
Vol 72 (288) ◽  
pp. 466-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Barber ◽  
Michael Selby

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