Soil microbial abundance and activity across forefield glacier chronosequence in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Chile

• Published in: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
• Main Authors: Fernando D. Alfaro, Alejandro Salazar-Burrows, Camila Bañales-Seguel, Juan-Luis García, Marlene Manzano, Pablo A. Marquet, Kriss Ruz, Aurora Gaxiola
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020
• Subjects: archaea; bacteria; fungi; soil development; andean; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Ecology; QH540-549.5; Antarctic and Alpine Research; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1820124; https://doaj.org/article/e7dae16f09614a08994e90c7dade74ba

In recently deglaciated soils, microbial organisms drive soil transformations by increasing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools while depleting available phosphorous (P), thus improving plant colonization and soil development. However, the rate of soil development can vary in response to local environmental conditions that affect microbial abundance and activity. In this contribution we use observational and experimental approaches to evaluate the interplay between soil biogeochemical features and microbial abundance and function after approximately seventy years of soil development in the forefield of the Exploradores Glacier that is located at the northernmost end of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field. Our findings suggest that after approximately seventy years of soil development, microbial abundance and soil C and N accumulation increase with soil age, soil bulk density and pH decreased, and microbial activity measured as soil chlorophyll a and nifH gene abundance increased. In turn, decomposition increased with fungal abundance, showing higher values in the late stages of soil development where the soil C:N ratio was higher and soil pH was lower. Overall, biogeochemical changes along this chronosequence followed the predicted pattern, with gradual increases in soil nutrients and microbial abundance, in addition to decomposition processes.