Soil microbial community and bacterial functional diversity at Machu Picchu, King George Island, Antarctica

I. Lahav Lavian, S. Vishnevetsky, G. Barness, Y. Steinberger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential contribution of the soil microbial community in the vicinity of two plant covers, Sanionia uncinata and Deschampsia antarctica, at Machu Picchu Station, King George Island, Antarctica. Soil samples were collected at the study site during the southern (pole) summer period from 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depths, for chemical and biological analyses. Soil microbial biomass reached a maximal value of 144 μg g-1 in soil samples taken from under the S. uncinata upper layer plant, qCO2 ranged from 167 to 239 μg CO2 · mgCmic · h-1 at the 0-5 and 5-10 cm depths, respectively. CO2 evolution showed values of 54.3 mg· m-2 h-1 beneath plant cover and 55.9 mg · m-2 h-1 in the open space. CO2 evolved by substrate induced respiration in the soil samples taken under the plant cover in the summer period, oscillated between 0.25 and 4.78 μg CO2 g-1 h-1. The data obtained from this short study may provide evidence that both activity and the composition and substrate utilization of the microbial community appear to change substantially across the moisture level and sample location.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)411-416
Number of pages6
JournalPolar Biology
Volume24
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Peruvian CONCYTEC (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia). We wish to thank Ing. Fernando Jimenez of the Pontificia Catholic University, Lima, Peru, for the invitation to participate in the XIth Scientific Peruvian Expedition to Antarctica – Antar XI, and the Peruvian Air Force, Marines, and Army, which were in charge of the logistics and operation of the project. We thank the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and special thanks are due to Mr. Alexander Ben-Zvi for initiation of the project and for his constructive efforts and support which allowed Professor Y. Steinberger to participate in the expeditio n. Special thanks are given to the chief of the expedition, Colonel Marcial Garcia Blasquez who, together with Major Juan Patino, chief of the Machu Picchu Station, made every effort to help the research teams to undertake their study.

Funding

Acknowledgements This research was supported by the Peruvian CONCYTEC (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia). We wish to thank Ing. Fernando Jimenez of the Pontificia Catholic University, Lima, Peru, for the invitation to participate in the XIth Scientific Peruvian Expedition to Antarctica – Antar XI, and the Peruvian Air Force, Marines, and Army, which were in charge of the logistics and operation of the project. We thank the Israeli Foreign Ministry, and special thanks are due to Mr. Alexander Ben-Zvi for initiation of the project and for his constructive efforts and support which allowed Professor Y. Steinberger to participate in the expeditio n. Special thanks are given to the chief of the expedition, Colonel Marcial Garcia Blasquez who, together with Major Juan Patino, chief of the Machu Picchu Station, made every effort to help the research teams to undertake their study.

FundersFunder number
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia
Peruvian CONCYTEC

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