Biomass and respiration of nematode populations in two moss communities at Signy Island, maritime Antarctic

• Published in: Oikos
• Main Author: Caldwell, J.R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Nordic Society Oikos 1981
• Subjects: Antarctic; Signy Island; Antarc*; Tundra
• Online Access: http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524578/; https://doi.org/10.2307/3544460

1. The biomasses of free-living soil nematodes from a moss turf and a moss carpet, two contrasting bryophyte ecosystems in the maritime Antarctic, are analysed and compared with other tundra studies. 2. The mean annual live-weight biomass of nematodes from the moss turf ranged from 105 to 355 mg m-2, that from the moss carpet showed less variation being from 222 to 236 mg m-2. 3. Seasonal variations from a low winter biomass to a high summer value are explained by seasonal fluctuations in soil temperature. 4. Total annual nematode population respiration at the two sites was very similar, being 1726.1 μl O2 m-2 d-1 in the moss turf and 1761.0 μl O2 m-2 d-1 in the moss carpet. 5. Nematodes form an important part of the soil fauna and are responsible for 16% and 35% of the metazoan respiration in the moss turf and carpet respectively. 6. The short Antarctic summer and generally low temperatures limit nematode production to 0.95 and 1.12