Plant communities as a key factor in biogeochemical processes involving micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu) in Antarctic soils (Byers Peninsula, maritime Antarctica)

Otero, Xosé Luís; Fernández, Susana; Pablo, Miguel Ángel de; Nizoli, Érico Casare; Quesada, Antonio

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.11.018

Cited by 34 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The bedrock of Livingston Island is a low-grade metamorphic turbidite sequence with volcanic to volcanoclastic rocks, intruded by igneous bodies (Arche et al 1992;Moura et al 2012). The surface soil of the A-horizon (0-5 cm) of the test sites was characterised by sandy loam as the dominating texture class, mean values of pH (H 2 O) are 7.3-7.7, electrical conductivity is 28-33 lS cm -1 , total organic carbon content is 0.39-0.56 %, total nitrogen contents are about 0.06-0.10 % (Otero et al 2013), and bioavailable (Mehlich-extractable) phosphorus contents are 7-40 mg kg -1 . Antarctica as a whole has only two native flowering plant species, the grass Deschampsia antarctica Desv.…”

Section: Livingston Islandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological soil crusts of Arctic Svalbard and of Livingston Island, Antarctica

et al. 2016

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Biological soil crusts (BSCs) occur in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide including the Polar Regions. They are important ecosystem engineers, and their composition and areal coverage should be understood before assessing key current functional questions such as their role in biogeochemical nutrient cycles and possible climate change scenarios. Our aim was to investigate the variability of BSCs from Arctic Svalbard and the Antarctic Island, Livingston, using vegetation surveys based on classification by functional group. An additional aim was to describe the structure of BSCs and represent a classification system that can be used in future studies to provide a fast and efficient way to define vegetation type and areal coverage. Firstly, this study demonstrates huge areas occupied by BSCs in Arctic Svalbard, with up to 90 % of soil surface covered, dominated by bryophytes and cyanobacteria, and showing an unexpectedly high variability in many areas. Livingston Island has lower percentage coverage, up to 55 %, but is dominated by lichens. Our findings show that both Polar Regions have varied BSC coverage, within the sites and between them, especially considering their harsh climates and latitudinal positions. Secondly, we have classified the BSCs of both areas into a system that describes the dominant functional groups and local geography, creating a simple scheme that allows easy identification of the prevailing vegetation type. Our results represent the first contribution to the description of BSCs based on their functional group composition in Polar Regions.

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Section: Livingston Islandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological soil crusts of Arctic Svalbard and of Livingston Island, Antarctica

et al. 2016

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“…These regions offer a wide array of chemistries (Lee et al 2012) and soil types (Bockheim and McLeod 2008), and can be readily distinguished on the basis of morphological properties, particularly the amount and distribution of soluble salts and the degree of chemical weathering. For instance, the dominant soil types in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) include Typic Anhyorthels, Typic Haploturbels and Typic Anhyturbels, while the dominant soils on the Antarctic Peninsula are of ornithogenic origin (Ugolini and Bockheim 2008), although vegetation present in this region allows for more developed soils (Otero et al 2013). High Arctic soil cover is present as an 'active layer' overlying thick permafrost, which is limited to wind swept small islands, narrow strips of terraces and colluvial foothills (Kimble 2004) with about 2 months of ice-free conditions during summer where temperatures rise above 0 °C.…”

Section: Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecology and biogeochemistry of cyanobacteria in soils, permafrost, aquatic and cryptic polar habitats

et al. 2015

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Polar Regions (continental Antarctica and the Arctic) are characterized by a range of extreme environmental conditions, which impose severe pressures on biological life. Polar cold-active cyanobacteria are uniquely adapted to withstand the environmental conditions of the high latitudes. These adaptations include high ultra-violet radiation and desiccation tolerance, and mechanisms to protect cells from freeze-thaw damage. As the most widely distributed photoautotrophs in these regions, cyanobacteria are likely the dominant contributors of critically essential ecosystem services, particularly carbon and nitrogen turnover in terrestrial polar habitats. These habitats include soils, permafrost, cryptic niches (including biological soil crusts, hypoliths and endoliths), ice and snow, and a range of aquatic habitats. Here we review current literature on the ecology, and the functional role played by cyanobacteria in various Arctic and Antarctic environments. We focus on the ecological importance of cyanobacterial communities in Polar Regions and assess what is known regarding the toxins they produce. We also review the responses and adaptations of cyanobacteria to extreme environments.

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“…For Al, Fe, Sr, Cr, and Cu, the concentrations in the sediments of Limnopolar Lake (Fig. 2) are much higher than those given for the soils of the area (both those developed on marine sediments and on volcanic materials; Navas et al, 2008;Otero et al, 2013), but similar to those of the tephras found in lake sediments (Björck and Zale, 1996b). For Ca, K, Mn, and Zn, concentrations are within the range found for soils and tephras.…”

Section: Elemental and Mineralogical Composition Of The Lake Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Among them, it is worth mentioning that by Navas et al (2008), which provides elemental data of soils derived from different geological materials of the area; the study by Otero et al (2013) on the content of micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu) in soils of the Byers Peninsula; and the study by Björck and Zale (1996b) on the composition of tephras found in lake sediments of the Byers Peninsula. The paper by Toro et al (2013), on a composite sediment core sampled at Limnopolar Lake, is also of reference, but a quantitative comparison of the elemental composition cannot be made since they used a core scanner and the data is presented as counts per second.…”

Section: Elemental and Mineralogical Composition Of The Lake Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors controlling the geochemical composition of Limnopolar Lake sediments (Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Island, Antarctica) during the last ca. 1600 years

Cortizas¹,

Muñiz

Rodríguez

et al. 2014

Solid Earth

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Abstract. We sampled a short (57 cm) sediment core in Limnopolar Lake (Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands), which spans the last ca. 1600 years. The core was sectioned at high resolution and analyzed for elemental and mineralogical composition, and scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) analysis of glass mineral particles in selected samples. The chemical record was characterized by a contrasted pattern of layers with high Ca, Ti, Zr, and Sr concentrations and layers with higher concentrations of K and Rb. The former were also enriched in plagioclase and, occasionally, in zeolites, while the latter were relatively enriched in 2 : 1 phyllosilicates and quartz. This was interpreted as reflecting the abundance of volcaniclastic material (Ca rich) versus Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous marine sediments (K rich) -the dominant geological material in the lake catchment. SEM-EDS analysis revealed the presence of abundant volcanic shards in the Ca-rich layers, pointing to tephras most probably related to the activity of Deception Island volcano (located 30 km to the SE). The ages of four main peaks of volcanic-rich material (AD ca. 1840-1860 for L1, AD ca. 1570-1650 for L2, AD ca. 1450-1470 for L3, and AD ca. 1300 for L4) matched reasonably well the age of tephra layers (AP1 to AP3) previously identified in lakes of Byers Peninsula. Some of the analyzed metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Cr) showed enrichments in the most recent tephra layer (L1), suggesting relative changes in the composition of the tephras as found in previous investigations. No evidence of significant human impact on the cycles of most trace metals (Cu, Zn, Pb) was found, probably due to the remote location of Livingston Island and the modest research infrastructures; local contamination was found by other researchers in soils, waters and marine sediments on areas with large, permanent research stations. Chromium is the only metal showing a steady enrichment in the last 200 years, but this cannot be directly attributed to anthropogenic pollution since recent research supports the interpretation that climatic variability (reduced moisture content and increased wind intensity) may have resulted in enhanced fluxes of mineral dust and trace elements (Cr among them) to Antarctica. At the same time, some features of the chemical record suggest that climate may have also played a role in the cycling of the elements, but further research is needed to identify the underlying mechanisms.

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Plant communities as a key factor in biogeochemical processes involving micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu) in Antarctic soils (Byers Peninsula, maritime Antarctica)

Cited by 34 publications

References 41 publications

Biological soil crusts of Arctic Svalbard and of Livingston Island, Antarctica

Biological soil crusts of Arctic Svalbard and of Livingston Island, Antarctica

Ecology and biogeochemistry of cyanobacteria in soils, permafrost, aquatic and cryptic polar habitats

Factors controlling the geochemical composition of Limnopolar Lake sediments (Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Island, Antarctica) during the last ca. 1600 years

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