Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants
© The Author(s). The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195274 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 |
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ftcsic:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/195274 2024-02-11T09:58:51+01:00 Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants Santamans, A. C. Boluda, Rafael Picazo, Antonio Gil, Carlos Ramos-Miras, José Joaquín Tejedo, Pablo Pertierra, Luis R. Benayas, Javier Camacho, Antonio G. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España) European Commission 2017-08-16 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195274 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 unknown Public Library of Science Publisher's version https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 Sí PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181901 (2017) 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195274 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 28813428 open artículo http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 2017 ftcsic https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.018190110.13039/501100000780 2024-01-16T10:45:53Z © The Author(s). The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins' faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted contribution, whereas the above-mentioned pollutants maintain very low levels. The concentrations of pollutants are far higher in those penguin rookeries that are more exposed to ship traffic. In addition, the soil microbiota of penguin-influenced soils was studied by molecular methods. Heavily penguin-affected soils have a massive presence of enteric bacteria, whose relative dominance can be taken as an indicator of penguin influence. Faecal bacteria are present in addition to typical soil taxa, the former becoming dominant in the microbiota of penguin-affected soils, whereas typical soil bacteria, such as Actinomycetales, co-dominate the microbiota of less affected soils. Results indicate that the continuous supply by penguin faeces, and not the selectivity by increased pollutant concentrations is the main factor shaping the soil bacterial community. Overall, massive penguin influence results in increased concentrations of certain pollutants and in a strong change in taxa dominance in the soil bacterial community. ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula South Shetland Islands PLOS ONE 12 8 e0181901 |
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Open Polar |
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Digital.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) |
op_collection_id |
ftcsic |
language |
unknown |
description |
© The Author(s). The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins' faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted contribution, whereas the above-mentioned pollutants maintain very low levels. The concentrations of pollutants are far higher in those penguin rookeries that are more exposed to ship traffic. In addition, the soil microbiota of penguin-influenced soils was studied by molecular methods. Heavily penguin-affected soils have a massive presence of enteric bacteria, whose relative dominance can be taken as an indicator of penguin influence. Faecal bacteria are present in addition to typical soil taxa, the former becoming dominant in the microbiota of penguin-affected soils, whereas typical soil bacteria, such as Actinomycetales, co-dominate the microbiota of less affected soils. Results indicate that the continuous supply by penguin faeces, and not the selectivity by increased pollutant concentrations is the main factor shaping the soil bacterial community. Overall, massive penguin influence results in increased concentrations of certain pollutants and in a strong change in taxa dominance in the soil bacterial community. ... |
author2 |
Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España) European Commission |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Santamans, A. C. Boluda, Rafael Picazo, Antonio Gil, Carlos Ramos-Miras, José Joaquín Tejedo, Pablo Pertierra, Luis R. Benayas, Javier Camacho, Antonio G. |
spellingShingle |
Santamans, A. C. Boluda, Rafael Picazo, Antonio Gil, Carlos Ramos-Miras, José Joaquín Tejedo, Pablo Pertierra, Luis R. Benayas, Javier Camacho, Antonio G. Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
author_facet |
Santamans, A. C. Boluda, Rafael Picazo, Antonio Gil, Carlos Ramos-Miras, José Joaquín Tejedo, Pablo Pertierra, Luis R. Benayas, Javier Camacho, Antonio G. |
author_sort |
Santamans, A. C. |
title |
Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
title_short |
Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
title_full |
Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
title_fullStr |
Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
title_full_unstemmed |
Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
title_sort |
soil features in rookeries of antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants |
publisher |
Public Library of Science |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195274 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula South Shetland Islands |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula South Shetland Islands |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Peninsula Antarctica South Shetland Islands |
op_relation |
Publisher's version https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 Sí PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181901 (2017) 1932-6203 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/195274 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181901 http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000780 28813428 |
op_rights |
open |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.018190110.13039/501100000780 |
container_title |
PLOS ONE |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
e0181901 |
_version_ |
1790594645103738880 |