Importation of psychrotolerant fungi to Antarctica associated with wooden cargo packaging

Abstract

The harsh climatic conditions and low levels of human activity in Antarctica, relative to other regions, means few non-native species have established. However, the risk of introductions is becoming greater as human activity increases. Non-native microorganisms can be imported to Antarctica in association with fresh food, cargo and personal clothing, but the likelihood of their establishment is not well understood. In January 2015, a wooden packing crate, heavily contaminated with fungi, was imported by aircraft from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Rothera Research Station, Antarctica. Mucor racemosus Bull. and two strains of Trichoderma viridescens (A.S. Horne & H.S. Will.) Jaklitsch & Samuels were isolated from the wood. Measurements of hyphal extension rates indicated that all three strains were psychrotolerant and capable of growth at 4°C, with M. racemosus growing at 0°C. The imported fungi could grow at rates equivalent to, or faster than, species isolated from Antarctic soils, suggesting that low temperature may not be a limiting factor for establishment. It is recommended that wood heat-treatment standards, equivalent to those described in the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15, are employed by national operators importing cargo into Antarctica, and that treated wood is adequately stored to prevent fungal contamination prior to transportation.

Invasive non‐native species likely to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems in the Antarctic Peninsula region

“…Chown et al (2012) examined the importation of plant propagules into Antarctica in association with the clothing and personal equipment of tourists and other personnel on ships and aircraft. Cargo and associated packing material are also a major vector for propagule importation into Antarctica (Chwedorzewska, Korczak-Abshire, Olech, Lityńska-Zając, & Augustyniuk-Kram, 2013;Houghton et al, 2016;Hughes, Misiak, Ulaganathan, & Newsham, 2018). The delivery of cargo and building materials for the construction of Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf (located to the east of the APR) resulted in the importation of an estimated 5,000 seeds representing 34 taxa (Lee & Chown, 2009b).…”

“…The delivery of cargo and building materials for the construction of Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf (located to the east of the APR) resulted in the importation of an estimated 5,000 seeds representing 34 taxa (Lee & Chown, ). Vehicles can also present a risk, with one incident introducing over 132 kg of soil containing viable non‐native vascular plants, bryophytes, insects, microinvertebrates, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, seeds and moss propagules on four construction vehicles (Hughes, Convey, Maslen, & Smith, ; Hughes et al, ). Fresh food importation can also transport non‐native species, including invertebrates and microbial plant and animal pathogens, on the produce or in associated soil or packaging (Hughes, Cowan, & Wilmotte, ; Hughes et al, ; Roy et al, ).…”

Antarctica's vegetation in a changing climate

“…Vascular plants are not the only potential invaders of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Alien lichen, moss, algal propagules and fragments have been reportedly found to be distributed across the Antarctic by tourists and scientists (Hughes et al, 2018;Huiskes et al, 2014;Kirtsideli et al, 2018;Laichmanov a & Sedl aček, 2019;Osyczka, 2010;Osyczka et al, 2012), but reports on their establishment and growth are rare (e.g., Archer et al, 2019;Câmara et al, 2020Câmara et al, , 2022Hughes et al, 2018;Vlasov et al, 2020). There are few reports on new establishments of bryophytes, such as Polytrichum piliferum, on Signy Island (Convey & Smith, 1993) but despite the ever-growing knowledge on diversity and species distribution in Antarctica, the baseline for species turnover is still largely unknown.…”

Morphological and molecular features of stain fungi infecting rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis)

“…The air-dried rubberwood were cut into wood samples sized 2×2×1 cm and soaked in aquadest for 24 hours and then treated with surface sterilization based on Hughes et al (2018). The wood samples were soaked in sterile aquadest for two minutes and shaken occasionally.…”