The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys
Abstract: Two models have been proposed to describe controls over microbial biogeography. One model proposes that microbes are ubiquitously distributed across the global environment, and that environmental conditions select for taxa physiologically adapted to local physical conditions. An alternativ...
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dataone:http://get.iedadata.org/metadata/iso/600100 2024-10-03T18:45:37+00:00 The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys Gooseff, Michael N ENVELOPE(-163.3,-162.32,-77.62,-77.73) BEGINDATE: 2009-08-15T00:00:00Z ENDDATE: 2013-07-31T00:00:00Z 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://get.iedadata.org/metadata/iso/600100 unknown IEDA: US Antarctic Program Data Center MPS-1 Water Potential Sensor Soil Moisture Soil Temperature Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Physical Properties Antarctica Critical Zone Cryosphere US Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC) Dataset 2013 dataone:urn:node:IEDA_USAP 2024-10-03T18:12:02Z Abstract: Two models have been proposed to describe controls over microbial biogeography. One model proposes that microbes are ubiquitously distributed across the global environment, and that environmental conditions select for taxa physiologically adapted to local physical conditions. An alternative model predicts that dispersal is the important limitation to the distribution of microorganisms and that spatial heterogeneity of microbial communities is a result of both dispersal and local environmental limitations. According to both models, spatial heterogeneity of microbial communities may be especially pronounced in extreme ecosystems where the environmental selection for organisms with suitable physiology is most strongly manifest. We propose that Antarctic terrestrial environments are ideal places to examine microbial biogeography for 3 reasons: 1) the pristine nature and remoteness of Antarctica minimizes the prevalence of exotic species dispersed through human vectors; 2) the extreme conditions of Antarctic environments provide a strong environmental filter which limits the establishment of non-indigenous taxa; and 3) extreme heterogeneity in the terrestrial environment provides natural gradients of soil conditions (temperature, water and nutrient availability). In the proposed research we will investigate the influence of snow on the composition and spatial distribution of soil microbial communities and linked biogeochemical cycling in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. We will conduct fieldwork at the landscape scale (repeated remote sensing to characterize snow distribution), at the valley and patch scales (quantify snow patch ablation, microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in subnivian soils). We hypothesize that snow patches play an important role in structuring the spatial distribution of soil microbial communities and their associated ecosystem functioning because of the physical and hydrological influences that snow patches have on the soil environment. The research will contribute to greater public awareness of the importance of polar research to fundamental questions of biology, ecology and hydrology through direct linkages with International Antarctic Institute public outreach activities, including dissemination of web-based learning units on environmental science and microbiology, targeted as resources for secondary and post-secondary educators. Three graduate students, one postdoctoral scholar and multiple undergraduates will participate in the research activities. Dataset Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica International Antarctic Institute McMurdo Dry Valleys IEDA: US Antarctic Program Data Center (via DataONE) Antarctic The Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys ENVELOPE(-163.3,-162.32,-77.62,-77.73) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
IEDA: US Antarctic Program Data Center (via DataONE) |
op_collection_id |
dataone:urn:node:IEDA_USAP |
language |
unknown |
topic |
MPS-1 Water Potential Sensor Soil Moisture Soil Temperature Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Physical Properties Antarctica Critical Zone Cryosphere US Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC) |
spellingShingle |
MPS-1 Water Potential Sensor Soil Moisture Soil Temperature Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Physical Properties Antarctica Critical Zone Cryosphere US Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC) Gooseff, Michael N The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
topic_facet |
MPS-1 Water Potential Sensor Soil Moisture Soil Temperature Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems Physical Properties Antarctica Critical Zone Cryosphere US Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC) |
description |
Abstract: Two models have been proposed to describe controls over microbial biogeography. One model proposes that microbes are ubiquitously distributed across the global environment, and that environmental conditions select for taxa physiologically adapted to local physical conditions. An alternative model predicts that dispersal is the important limitation to the distribution of microorganisms and that spatial heterogeneity of microbial communities is a result of both dispersal and local environmental limitations. According to both models, spatial heterogeneity of microbial communities may be especially pronounced in extreme ecosystems where the environmental selection for organisms with suitable physiology is most strongly manifest. We propose that Antarctic terrestrial environments are ideal places to examine microbial biogeography for 3 reasons: 1) the pristine nature and remoteness of Antarctica minimizes the prevalence of exotic species dispersed through human vectors; 2) the extreme conditions of Antarctic environments provide a strong environmental filter which limits the establishment of non-indigenous taxa; and 3) extreme heterogeneity in the terrestrial environment provides natural gradients of soil conditions (temperature, water and nutrient availability). In the proposed research we will investigate the influence of snow on the composition and spatial distribution of soil microbial communities and linked biogeochemical cycling in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. We will conduct fieldwork at the landscape scale (repeated remote sensing to characterize snow distribution), at the valley and patch scales (quantify snow patch ablation, microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in subnivian soils). We hypothesize that snow patches play an important role in structuring the spatial distribution of soil microbial communities and their associated ecosystem functioning because of the physical and hydrological influences that snow patches have on the soil environment. The research will contribute to greater public awareness of the importance of polar research to fundamental questions of biology, ecology and hydrology through direct linkages with International Antarctic Institute public outreach activities, including dissemination of web-based learning units on environmental science and microbiology, targeted as resources for secondary and post-secondary educators. Three graduate students, one postdoctoral scholar and multiple undergraduates will participate in the research activities. |
format |
Dataset |
author |
Gooseff, Michael N |
author_facet |
Gooseff, Michael N |
author_sort |
Gooseff, Michael N |
title |
The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
title_short |
The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
title_full |
The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
title_fullStr |
The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Role of Snow Patches on the Spatial Distribution of Soil Microbial Communities and Biogeochemical Cycling in the Antarctic Dry Valleys |
title_sort |
role of snow patches on the spatial distribution of soil microbial communities and biogeochemical cycling in the antarctic dry valleys |
publisher |
IEDA: US Antarctic Program Data Center |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://get.iedadata.org/metadata/iso/600100 |
op_coverage |
ENVELOPE(-163.3,-162.32,-77.62,-77.73) BEGINDATE: 2009-08-15T00:00:00Z ENDDATE: 2013-07-31T00:00:00Z |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-163.3,-162.32,-77.62,-77.73) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica International Antarctic Institute McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica International Antarctic Institute McMurdo Dry Valleys |
_version_ |
1811925404053667840 |