Evidence of global-scale aeolian dispersal and endemism in isolated geothermal microbial communities of Antarctica

Herbold, Craig W.; Lee, Charles K.; McDonald, Ian R.; Cary, S. Craig

doi:10.1038/ncomms4875

Cited by 644 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…1), particularly of microorganisms attached to dust, pollen or water droplets 48 , provides the potential means of dispersing everything everywhere and enabling the environment to select, as per the Baas Becking hypothesis 40,[49][50][51][52][53][54] . A study of Greenland and Antarctic glacial ice cores suggests that aeolian dispersal of microorganisms is limited between the poles, with microorganisms trapped in ice having originated from geographically local regions 55 .…”

Section: Aeolian Dispersal and Selection In Antarcticamentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial ecology of Antarctic aquatic systems

2015

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The Earth's biosphere is dominated by cold environments, and the cold biosphere is dominated by microorganisms. Microorganisms in cold Southern Ocean waters are recognized for having crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles, including carbon sequestration, whereas microorganisms in other Antarctic aquatic biomes are not as well understood. In this Review, I consider what has been learned about Antarctic aquatic microbial ecology from 'omic' studies. I assess the factors that shape the biogeography of Antarctic microorganisms, reflect on some of the unusual biogeochemical cycles that they are associated with and discuss the important roles that viruses have in controlling ecosystem function.

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Section: Aeolian Dispersal and Selection In Antarcticamentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial ecology of Antarctic aquatic systems

2015

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“…Recent studies examining the presence, composition, and local contributions of a possible continental-wide aeolian microbial community suggest that this community is primarily of Antarctic origin with some contribution of more resilient taxa from off-continent sources 65 . The Antarctic aerosolized community appears to have little impact on the less optimal cold dry edaphic mineral soil communities, but makes a substantial contribution to the significantly more selective geothermal soils 66 .…”

Section: Drivers Of Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing form of Antarctic biodiversity

Chown

Clarke

Fraser

et al. 2015

Nature

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283

219

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Antarctic biodiversity is much more extensive, ecologically diverse and biogeographically structured than previously thought. Understanding of how this diversity is distributed in marine and terrestrial systems, the mechanisms underlying its spatial variation, and the significance of the microbiota is growing rapidly. Broadly recognizable drivers of diversity variation include energy availability and historical refugia. The impacts of local human activities and global environmental change nonetheless pose challenges to current and future understanding of Antarctic biodiversity. Life in the Antarctic and the Southern Ocean is surprisingly rich, and as much at risk from environmental change as it is elsewhere.The past two decades have witnessed a revolution in the approaches used to document patterns in and the functional significance of the diversity of life. Knowledge of the global distributions of organisms now extends to many groups. These include terrestrial plants and animals 1 , marine taxa 2 , components of the soil biota 3 , and, increasingly, microorganisms 4 .2 Empirical and theoretical research is verifying the range of mechanisms, including energy and nutrient availability, and historical contingency, that are responsible for these patterns 1,2 , and the role of diversity in maintaining ecosystem services. New approaches are also revealing rapid changes in diversity across most ecosystems, their often negative implications for the future of the planet, and our struggle to address the problem 5 .In tandem, biodiversity research has surged across the Antarctic and Southern Ocean.In part the increasing interest has been driven by the realization that any fundamental quest to understand life's diversity requires exploration of the polar regions 6,7 . But it has also been underpinned by a growing appreciation of the particular challenges faced by Antarctic species and ecosystems. Climate change 8 , and economic activity in the form of fishing, tourism, and scientific research itself 9,10 are all having impacts on Antarctic diversity. The intricacy of Southern Ocean food webs, best known for the region's iconic seals, penguins, whales and albatrosses, has been further unveiled, so highlighting the complexity of the simultaneous impacts of changing climates, sea ice distribution and fisheries on this system 11,12 . New marine research has also exposed unexpectedly high benthic diversity, including in the deep sea 13,14 . In terrestrial areas, the diversity of higher plants and animals is relatively low (e.g., just two flowering plant species), but the diversity of lichens, bryophytes, invertebrates, and the microbiota is substantial 15 . Local and regional spatial patterning in these groups is extensive 16 , with the mechanisms underlying these patterns both recognizable from broader ecological theory and unusual in several respects.Here we explore recent advances in our understanding of the biodiversity of the Antarctic. Given the many conservation challenges it faces, we also consider how well the region i...

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“…Microbial presence is ubiquitous in the polar regions, and recent research into the polar aerobiome points towards a dynamic polar microbial community and the possibility of significant input of metabolically active bacteria onto the snowpack [23], even to remote locations [24,25]. To this end, research into the aerobiome and polar environments have demonstrated that microorganisms in aerial fallout remain viable, as cultures from aerobiological samples can grow under favourable conditions [26,27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial metabolism directly affects trace gases in (sub) polar snowpacks

Redeker

Chong

Aguion

et al. 2017

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Concentrations of trace gases trapped in ice are considered to develop uniquely from direct snow/atmosphere interactions at the time of contact. This assumption relies upon limited or no biological, chemical or physical transformations occurring during transition from snow to firn to ice; a process that can take decades to complete. Here, we present the first evidence of environmental alteration due to in situ microbial metabolism of trace gases (methyl halides and dimethyl sulfide) in polar snow. We collected evidence for ongoing microbial metabolism from an Arctic and an Antarctic location during different years. Methyl iodide production in the snowpack decreased significantly after exposure to enhanced UV radiation. Our results also show large variations in the production and consumption of other methyl halides, including methyl bromide and methyl chloride, used in climate interpretations. These results suggest that this long-neglected microbial activity could constitute a potential source of error in climate history interpretations, by introducing a so far unappreciated source of bias in the quantification of atmospheric-derived trace gases trapped within the polar ice caps.

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Evidence of global-scale aeolian dispersal and endemism in isolated geothermal microbial communities of Antarctica

Cited by 644 publications

References 66 publications

Microbial ecology of Antarctic aquatic systems

Microbial ecology of Antarctic aquatic systems

The changing form of Antarctic biodiversity

Microbial metabolism directly affects trace gases in (sub) polar snowpacks

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