Field surveys on terrestrial biology in the vicinity of Syowa Station, East Antarctica, 1983-1984 (JARE-24)

• Main Authors: Hiroshi Kanda, Hiroo Satoh, Kentaro Watanabe, Eiji Takahashi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: National Institute of Polar Research 1986
• Subjects: Geography (General); G1-922; Antarctic; East Antarctica; East Ongul Island; Naka-no-seto; Ongul; Ongul Island; Syowa Station; The Antarctic; Weddell; Yamato; Adelie penguin; Antarc*; Antarctica; Weddell Seal
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15094/00008500; https://doaj.org/article/f317762de0af443e9bd9cbe9e10678cb

Records of environmental monitoring and field work of terrestrial biology, which were carried out from January 1983 to February 1984 as part of the winter programs of the 24th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE-24), are briefly reported. The environmental monitoring consisted of measurement of CO_2 in the surface air at Syowa Station, sampling of water from five ponds selected for the monitoring, collection of soil samples for the study of survival of Eschericher coli under natural condition the floristic study of micro-algae in soil, and population census of the Adelie penguin, the Emperor penguin and the Weddell seal. Field studies of moss and lichen communities were undertaken in the ice-free areas along the Soya Coast and the Yamato Mountains. At a selected site near Naka-no-seto Strait, East Ongul Island, investigations on the relation between moss community and its micro-climatic conditions were made at intervals from February 1983 to January 1984. Observation of growth of moss blocks was conducted in a laboratory of Syowa Station and at an experimental site beside the laboratory. To obtain the information of eutrophication in the Antarctic environment, a succession of fresh water micro-algae in the water and the soil was artificially enriched for ten months under the natural condition.