Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada
The input of nutrients into arctic polar deserts, aided by some physical processes, can result in localized areas of high biological productivity--"micro-oases." We examined the vegetation cover, and microbial and nematode abundance in the polar desert and in 38 micro-oases at the Haughton...
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:18543 2023-05-15T14:14:37+02:00 Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada Cockell, Charles S. Lee, Pascal Schuerger, Andrew C. Hidalgo, Loretta Jones, Jeff A. Stokes, M. Dale 2001 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18543/ http://instaar.colorado.edu/AAAR/journal_issues/abstract.php?id=2047 unknown University of Colorado Cockell, Charles S.; Lee, Pascal; Schuerger, Andrew C.; Hidalgo, Loretta; Jones, Jeff A.; Stokes, M. Dale. 2001 Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 33 (3). 306-318. Botany Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2001 ftnerc 2023-02-04T19:31:47Z The input of nutrients into arctic polar deserts, aided by some physical processes, can result in localized areas of high biological productivity--"micro-oases." We examined the vegetation cover, and microbial and nematode abundance in the polar desert and in 38 micro-oases at the Haughton impact crater, Devon Island, Arctic Canada. Our sites were split between the alluvial terraces along the banks of the Haughton River and the breccia deposits resulting from the asteroid or comet impact 22 Myr ago that flank the alluvial terraces. The alluvial terraces have a vegetation cover that ranges from 2 to 11% depending on substrate and water availability with a species richness of 5 in most locations. The vegetation cover on the breccia is much lower, between 0.02 and 3% depending on water availability. The micro-oases on both substrates support between 2 and 98% cover, but they are smaller and more sparsely distributed than similar features found in the Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, and on Bathurst Island. Microbial and nematode numbers were an order of magnitude greater inside the micro-oases compared to outside. Micro-oases are often dominated by a particular species, resulting in well-defined groups of micro-oases that were separated by TWINSPAN analysis. The micro-oases at Haughton Crater provide insights into the process of colonization of a substrate resulting from an asteroid or comet impact and the unique biological characteristics of such substrates. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Bathurst Island Devon Island Nunavut polar desert Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Arctic Nunavut Canada Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) Bathurst Island ENVELOPE(-100.002,-100.002,75.752,75.752) Haughton River ENVELOPE(-88.980,-88.980,75.447,75.447) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Botany |
spellingShingle |
Botany Cockell, Charles S. Lee, Pascal Schuerger, Andrew C. Hidalgo, Loretta Jones, Jeff A. Stokes, M. Dale Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
topic_facet |
Botany |
description |
The input of nutrients into arctic polar deserts, aided by some physical processes, can result in localized areas of high biological productivity--"micro-oases." We examined the vegetation cover, and microbial and nematode abundance in the polar desert and in 38 micro-oases at the Haughton impact crater, Devon Island, Arctic Canada. Our sites were split between the alluvial terraces along the banks of the Haughton River and the breccia deposits resulting from the asteroid or comet impact 22 Myr ago that flank the alluvial terraces. The alluvial terraces have a vegetation cover that ranges from 2 to 11% depending on substrate and water availability with a species richness of 5 in most locations. The vegetation cover on the breccia is much lower, between 0.02 and 3% depending on water availability. The micro-oases on both substrates support between 2 and 98% cover, but they are smaller and more sparsely distributed than similar features found in the Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, and on Bathurst Island. Microbial and nematode numbers were an order of magnitude greater inside the micro-oases compared to outside. Micro-oases are often dominated by a particular species, resulting in well-defined groups of micro-oases that were separated by TWINSPAN analysis. The micro-oases at Haughton Crater provide insights into the process of colonization of a substrate resulting from an asteroid or comet impact and the unique biological characteristics of such substrates. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cockell, Charles S. Lee, Pascal Schuerger, Andrew C. Hidalgo, Loretta Jones, Jeff A. Stokes, M. Dale |
author_facet |
Cockell, Charles S. Lee, Pascal Schuerger, Andrew C. Hidalgo, Loretta Jones, Jeff A. Stokes, M. Dale |
author_sort |
Cockell, Charles S. |
title |
Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_short |
Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full |
Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada |
title_sort |
microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, haughton impact crater, devon island, nunavut, canada |
publisher |
University of Colorado |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18543/ http://instaar.colorado.edu/AAAR/journal_issues/abstract.php?id=2047 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) ENVELOPE(-100.002,-100.002,75.752,75.752) ENVELOPE(-88.980,-88.980,75.447,75.447) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Devon Island Bathurst Island Haughton River |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canada Devon Island Bathurst Island Haughton River |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Bathurst Island Devon Island Nunavut polar desert |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic Bathurst Island Devon Island Nunavut polar desert |
op_relation |
Cockell, Charles S.; Lee, Pascal; Schuerger, Andrew C.; Hidalgo, Loretta; Jones, Jeff A.; Stokes, M. Dale. 2001 Microbiology and vegetation of micro-oases and polar desert, Haughton Impact Crater, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 33 (3). 306-318. |
_version_ |
1766286980449042432 |