Spatial variability in polar soil ecosystems: An integrated study of genes, microbial biodiversity and landform evolution as a baseline for monitoring climate change

• Other Authors: GILLINGS, MIKE (hasPrincipalInvestigator), FERGUSON, SUSAN HARRIET (processor), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Antarctic Data Centre
• Subjects: environment; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; EARTH SCIENCE; BIOSPHERE; SOILS; LAND SURFACE; MICROFAUNA; EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION; ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS; SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS; POPULATION DYNAMICS; microbial biodiversity; landform evolution; FIELD SURVEYS; LABORATORY; FIELD INVESTIGATION; CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; Arctic; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Longyearbyen; Canada; Norway; Browning; Denison; Cape Denison; Bailey Peninsula; Browning Peninsula; Herring Island; Mitchell Peninsula; Antarc*; Antarctica; Climate change; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: https://researchdata.ands.org.au/spatial-variability-polar-climate-change/700097; https://doi.org/10.4225/15/57C65C0D1D455; https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/ASAC_2952; http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617536

Metadata record for data from ASAC Project 2952. See the link below for public details on this project. By studying microbial within species adaptation, species distribution, ecosystem composition, structure and biogeochemical rates and functions, and relating these parameters to specific landforms at a range of spatial scales we aim to determine whether: Aspects of the Antarctic environment influence the scales and rates of biogeochemical processes and soil microbial population dynamics. and if so: Whether polar soil ecosystems are more sensitive to anthropogenic climate change than temperate regions. Project objectives: Do aspects of the Antarctic environment influence the scales and rates of biogeochemical processes and soil microbial population dynamics? If so, Are polar soil ecosystems more sensitive to anthropogenic climate change than temperate regions? We aim to answer these two questions by studying within species adaptation, species distribution, ecosystem composition, structure and biogeochemical rates and functions. To do this, we will collect samples that relate to specific landforms at a range of spatial scales. We will then test the hypothesis that there are differences between sites (landforms), along gradients, between locations and between regions. This Antarctic data can then be compared to data from a much larger International Polar Year (IPY) latitudinal gradients project involving data from the Arctic (Canada and Norway) and temperate and tropical regions (Australia, Europe and low latitude Canada). Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report: Progress against objectives: Soil samples have been collected from several sites in Antarctica and the Arctic in the past several years. These have been catalogued in a Sample Tracking Database developed by the EPiC group at the AAD. We have been concentrating on developing our methodology and devising a soil analysis system describing how each sample is subsampled and designating each subsample for particular chemical or genetic analysis. The method concentrates on making the most of the scarce amount of soil available due to the lack of soil development in most Antarctic coastal regions. We have reviewed the soil subsampling protocols and have sub-sampled the soils from the Robinsons Ridge and Main Powerhouse sites. Soil moisture content has been determined for these two sets of soil samples. Herring Island, Mitchell Peninsula and Casey MPH (Bailey Peninsula) transects have already been subsampled and 10g samples processed at Macquarie University for the integron project. Duplicate DNA samples have been extracted from the Robinsons and Main Powerhouse soils. One set of DNA extractions is stored at Macquarie University, while the duplicate set is stored at the AAD. DNA extractions have been confirmed as PCR competent, further PCR analysis has confirmed the presence of integrons and gene cassettes in these samples. We have begun to use amplification of a hypervariable region of the 16S rDNA gene followed by high resolution electrophoretic analysis to generate an overview of bacterial diversity along all soil transects. All subsamples have been entered into the Sample Tracking Database. Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report: Soil samples have been collected that relate to specific landforms at a range of spatial scales from several sites in Antarctica and the Arctic. Analysis of biogeochemical processes within these soils samples is being conducted. All 450 samples from the Antarctic transects have been analysed using the Mid-range infra red spectrometer, we also have total carbon and water content data for all these samples. The data for water content has been collected for the Norway transects (186 samples). The soil sub samples designated for different physical, chemical or genetic analysis have been distributed. Duplicate DNA has been extracted for all Antarctic transects (Herring Island, Mitchell Peninsula, Browning Peninsula, Robinsons Ridge and Main Power House - Casey) and two Norwegian transects; Vestpynton Longyearbyen (Norway SV) and Spitsbergan Norway (Norway SS). This represents 2320 extractions in total, and the first steps towards investigating soil microbial population dynamics. All DNA extractions have been confirmed as PCR competent. Further work towards understanding if aspects of the Antarctic environment influence the scales and rates of biogeochemical processes and soil microbial population dynamics has been conducted through examining the presence of integrons and gene cassettes in the samples Integrons and gene cassettes have been confirmed by sequencing and interrogation of BLAST databases. The focus of these investigations has been the Main Power House (MPH) transect. We have cloned sequences that show homology with gene cassettes from Cape Denison, Antarctica (ornothogenic soil) and with Halifax Bay marine sediment that are hydrocarbon contaminated. We are concentrating on intense cloning and sequencing of samples from MPH. This information will be use to develop quick method to identify Integrons and gene cassettes in the rest of samples. We are also trying to identify the integron found in Antarctic soil samples and driving the capture and expression of adaptive genes. Our laboratory is designing primers to target and amplify the integron and the first gene cassette. We have begun to use amplification of part of the hypervariable region of the 16S rDNA gene followed by high resolution electophretic analysis to generate an overview of bacterial diversity along all soil transects. A sub sample of every soil sample collected has been logged in the -80oC soil library at AAD and these samples have been catalogued in the Sample Tracking Database managed by the EPiC group.