The limnology and biology of the Dufek Massif, Transantarctic Mountains 82° South

Biological Soil Crusts

“…Trebouxia sp. Heterococcus sp., Hodgson et al 2010). In contrast to that very sparse vegetation at the Dufek Massif further south at the Queen Maud Mountains (84°S), there is a surprisingly high diversity reported (Green et al 2011a, b).…”

“…Continuing south to the Dufek Massif (82°S), there are no bryophytes and only a single lichen species was recorded, Lecanora cancriformis (Hoffm.) Vain (Hodgson et al 2010), which is a typical epilithic lichen, and therefore cannot be considered as a biological soil crust species. Nevertheless, there are cyanobacteria and algae reportedly growing in the soils (Oscillatoria sp.…”

Biological invasions in terrestrial Antarctica: what is the current status and can we respond?

“…However, specialized biological communities are also present even in the most extreme terrestrial habitats within the continent (e.g. Broady and Weinstein 1998;Hodgson et al 2010). The majority of areas of exposed terrestrial ground are isolated, small and island-like (Bergstrom and Chown 1999;Arnold et al 2003;Hughes et al 2006), factors that are important in driving the evolutionary isolation, divergence and high levels of regional endemism that appear to characterise Antarctic biota (Chown and Convey 2007;Pugh and Convey 2008).…”

Trampling on maritime Antarctica: can soil ecosystems be effectively protected through existing codes of conduct?

“…The generally accepted assumption is that disturbance effects on Antarctic soils are very long-lasting, especially in continental environments such as the Victoria Land Dry Valleys and Transantarctic Mountains (Campbell & Claridge 1987;Ayres et al 2008;Hodgson et al 2010). However, our data suggest that some areas of maritime Antarctic soil that have suffered intermediate levels of use could possibly physically recover after a period of as little as twoÁthree years without human presence.…”

“…The high fragility of the surface pavement and the absence of significant natural rehabilitation processes in this area underlie this long-lasting disturbance. Hodgson et al (2010) with a high surface boulder cover and/or a large particlesize fraction are the least sensitive (Campbell et al 1998). Paths on these surfaces are less obvious, especially in the absence of clear slopes or areas of finer grained soil or mud.…”