Development of Microbial Communities in a Glacier Forefield, Larsemann Hills, East Antarctic

Funding

DFG (2010-2012)

PhD candidate

Felizitas Bajerski

Field Team

Dirk Wagner (AWI Potsdam)
Lars Ganzert (AWI Potsdam)
Antje Eulenburg (AWI Potsdam)
Christina Miller (AWI Bremerhaven)
Roland Oberhänsli (Uni Potsdam)
Patrick O’Brien (Uni Potsdam)

Background

In the scope of the project the development and function of microbial communities in a glacier forefield on Larsemann Hills (East Antarctic) will be studied. The retreat of Antarctic glaciers expose new terrain for the development of soils and subsequent colonization by microorganisms. Glacier forefields represent chronosequences due to the period of ice-free conditions. It is assumed that local development of soils and microbial communities of these environments are dramatically influenced by climate changes. Therefore, it is the aim of the project to understand the diversity of initial microbial communities and their development in dependence of the habitat formation and environmental conditions. This includes the investigation of small-scale variations within the community structure along the studied chronosequence (transect from youngest to oldest soils/sediments) and the effect of geochemical gradients on the diversity and function of the populations. For this purpose a large number of soil/sediment profiles along the glacier forefield on Larsemann Hills had been described and sampled during the expedition ANT-XXIII/9. A combined geochemical and microbiological approach will be used for a detailed characterization of the habitat properties and to study the diversity, abundance and function of the microbial communities.

Outcomes

Ganzert L, Eulenburg A., Miller C. and Wagner D. (2008) Functional microbial diversity in extreme Antarctic habitats: abundance, phylogeny and ecology. In: Hubbert H.-W. (ed.) The expedition of the research vessel Polarstern to the Antarctic in 2007 (ANT-XXIII/9). Reports on Polar and Marine Research 583, 95-101.