Climate and soil characteristics and soil arthropod abundance on Anchorage, Signy and Falkland Islands ...

Over a 2-year study, we investigated the effect of environmental change on the diversity and abundance of soil arthropod communities (Acari and Collembola) in the Maritime Antarctic and the Falkland Islands. Open Top Chambers (OTCs), as used extensively in the framework of the northern boreal Intern...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bokhorst, Stef, Huiskes, Ad H L, Convey, Peter, van Bodegom, PM, Aerts, Raf
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: PANGAEA 2008
Subjects:
IPY
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.807698
https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.807698
Description
Summary:Over a 2-year study, we investigated the effect of environmental change on the diversity and abundance of soil arthropod communities (Acari and Collembola) in the Maritime Antarctic and the Falkland Islands. Open Top Chambers (OTCs), as used extensively in the framework of the northern boreal International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), were used to increase the temperature in contrasting communities on three islands along a latitudinal temperature gradient, ranging from the Falkland Islands (51°S, mean annual temperature 7.5 °C) to Signy Island (60°S, -2.3°C) and Anchorage Island (67°S, -3.8°C). At each island an open and a closed plant community were studied: lichen vs. moss at the Antarctic sites, and grass vs. dwarf shrub at the Falkland Islands. The OTCs raised the soil surface temperature during most months of the year. During the summer the level of warming achieved was 1.7 °C at the Falkland Islands, 0.7 °C at Signy Island, and 1.1 °C at Anchorage Island.The native arthropod community diversity decreased ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...