Spatial and Temporal Variability in Terrestrial Antarctic Biodiversity

Chown, Steven Loudon; Convey, Peter

doi:10.1002/9781444347241.ch1

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 336 publications

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“…These ACBRs are also broadly supported by several phylogeographic analyses, indicating substantial differences among different areas of the Antarctic Peninsula (McGaughran et al ., ; Mortimer et al ., ; Allegrucci et al ., ), among areas in Victoria Land (Stevens & Hogg, ; Smith et al ., ) and between East and West Antarctica (Torricelli et al ., ). Further support is provided by broader considerations of the distributions of taxa across the continent (such as indicated by the Gressitt Line, see Chown & Convey, , ). By contrast, the ACBRs we delineate here cannot reveal local‐scale phylogeographic variation (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation biogeography of the Antarctic

Terauds

Chown

Morgan

et al. 2012

Diversity and Distributions

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation biogeography of the Antarctic

Terauds

Chown

Morgan

et al. 2012

Diversity and Distributions

Self Cite

217

166

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“…While lack of spatial coverage is a limitation that has been identified as being common to all other major Antarctic taxonomic groups ( Chown and Convey, 2007 , 2012 ; Peat et al, 2007 ; Convey et al, 2012 ; Terauds et al, 2012 ), the limitation is more severe in the prokaryotes than in eukaryotic groups. Placed this in context, at present bacteria and archaea together contribute less than 6% of the total records available in the ABD 2 (accessed 9 August, 2015).…”

Section: Issues and Limitations Of Antarctic Prokaryotic Biogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes

2015

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Recent advances in knowledge of patterns of biogeography in terrestrial eukaryotic organisms have led to a fundamental paradigm shift in understanding of the controls and history of life on land in Antarctica, and its interactions over the long term with the glaciological and geological processes that have shaped the continent. However, while it has long been recognized that the terrestrial ecosystems of Antarctica are dominated by microbes and their processes, knowledge of microbial diversity and distributions has lagged far behind that of the macroscopic eukaryote organisms. Increasing human contact with and activity in the continent is leading to risks of biological contamination and change in a region whose isolation has protected it for millions of years at least; these risks may be particularly acute for microbial communities which have, as yet, received scant recognition and attention. Even a matter apparently as straightforward as Protected Area designation in Antarctica requires robust biodiversity data which, in most parts of the continent, remain almost completely unavailable. A range of important contributing factors mean that it is now timely to reconsider the state of knowledge of Antarctic terrestrial prokaryotes. Rapid advances in molecular biological approaches are increasingly demonstrating that bacterial diversity in Antarctica may be far greater than previously thought, and that there is overlap in the environmental controls affecting both Antarctic prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities. Bacterial dispersal mechanisms and colonization patterns remain largely unaddressed, although evidence for regional evolutionary differentiation is rapidly accruing and, with this, there is increasing appreciation of patterns in regional bacterial biogeography in this large part of the globe. In this review, we set out to describe the state of knowledge of Antarctic prokaryote diversity patterns, drawing analogy with those of eukaryote groups where appropriate. Based on our synthesis, it is clear that spatial patterns of Antarctic prokaryotes can be unique at local scales, while the limited evidence available to date supports the group exhibiting overall regional biogeographical patterns similar to the eukaryotes. We further consider the applicability of the concept of “functional redundancy” for the Antarctic microbial community and highlight the requirements for proper consideration of their important and distinctive roles in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems.

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“…Climate warming along the Antarctic Peninsula has resulted in an increase in growing season temperature as well as the availability of water, meaning that two of the major abiotic constraints on biological activity have been relaxed. This may well result in an extended growing season (Vaughan, ; Convey, ; Chown & Convey, ). Thus, there is a potentially large increase in the duration of the algal bloom season associated with a warmer climate in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snow algae communities in Antarctica: metabolic and taxonomic composition

et al. 2019

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Summary Snow algae are found in snowfields across cold regions of the planet, forming highly visible red and green patches below and on the snow surface. In Antarctica, they contribute significantly to terrestrial net primary productivity due to the paucity of land plants, but our knowledge of these communities is limited. Here we provide the first description of the metabolic and species diversity of green and red snow algae communities from four locations in Ryder Bay (Adelaide Island, 68°S), Antarctic Peninsula. During the 2015 austral summer season, we collected samples to measure the metabolic composition of snow algae communities and determined the species composition of these communities using metabarcoding. Green communities were protein‐rich, had a high chlorophyll content and contained many metabolites associated with nitrogen and amino acid metabolism. Red communities had a higher carotenoid content and contained more metabolites associated with carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Chloromonas , Chlamydomonas and Chlorella were found in green blooms but only Chloromonas was detected in red blooms. Both communities also contained bacteria, protists and fungi. These data show the complexity and variation within snow algae communities in Antarctica and provide initial insights into the contribution they make to ecosystem functioning.

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Spatial and Temporal Variability in Terrestrial Antarctic Biodiversity

Cited by 6 publications

References 336 publications

Conservation biogeography of the Antarctic

Conservation biogeography of the Antarctic

Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes

Snow algae communities in Antarctica: metabolic and taxonomic composition

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