Phototrophic microflora colonizing substrates of man-made origin in Billefjorden Region, Central Svalbard

• Main Authors: Raabová, Lenka, Elster, Josef, Kováčik, Ľubomír
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Masaryk Univerzity 2016
• Subjects: cyanobacteria; algae; anthropogenic substrates; Arctic; Svalbard; Svalbard Archipelago; Billefjorden; Petuniabukta
• Online Access: http://journals.muni.cz/CPR/article/view/12883

Substrates created by human have a significant impact on Arctic terrestrial environment. These substrates are new potential niche for microbial biota, which may have several essential chemical agents supporting microbial growth. Wood, concrete, brick, ceramic and other different building materials, which have been introduced by human in this iso-lated environment, are colonized with terrestrial and aero-terrestrial microorganisms living in the natural niches near the substrates like soil, rocks, etc., but these materials newly-introduced to Svalbard terrestrial ecosystems can also work as vectors for invasion of new species into the environment. We have collected different types of artificial substrates mainly in the region of Petuniabukta bay and studied the species composition of microbial phototrophs living there. A total of 25 taxa of cyanobacteria and algae were documented on different types of substrates like brick walls, concrete, glass, iron, wood and plastic. A commonality in species diversity was observed with similar substrates in temperate climatic regions. Fottea stichococcoides, Sphaerococcomyxa olivacea, Polysphaera composita and Diplosphaera chodatii were first time recorded from Svalbard Archipelago.