Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soils

dc.contributor.authorCowan, Don A.
dc.contributor.authorMakhalanyane, Thulani Peter
dc.contributor.authorDennis, Paul G.
dc.contributor.authorHopkins, David W.
dc.contributor.emaildon.cowan@up.ac.zaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-02-02T10:02:31Z
dc.date.available2015-02-02T10:02:31Z
dc.date.issued2014-04
dc.description.abstractThe Antarctica Dry Valleys are regarded as the coldest hyperarid desert system on Earth. While a wide variety of environmental stressors including very low minimum temperatures, frequent freeze-thaw cycles and low water availability impose severe limitations to life, suitable niches for abundant microbial colonization exist. Antarctic desert soils contain much higher levels of microbial diversity than previously thought. Edaphic niches, including cryptic and refuge habitats, microbial mats and permafrost soils all harbor microbial communities which drive key biogeochemical cycling processes. For example, lithobionts (hypoliths and endoliths) possess a genetic capacity for nitrogen and carbon cycling, polymer degradation, and other system processes. Nitrogen fixation rates of hypoliths, as assessed through acetylene reduction assays, suggest that these communities are a significant input source for nitrogen into these oligotrophic soils. Here we review aspects of microbial diversity in Antarctic soils with an emphasis on functionality and capacity. We assess current knowledge regarding adaptations to Antarctic soil environments and highlight the current threats to Antarctic desert soil communities.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianhb2015en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Pretoria Genomics Research Institute, The South African National Research Foundation (SANAP program), Antarctica New Zealand, the University of Waikato NZTABS program, the UK Natural Environment Research Council (Antarctic Funding Initiative) and the British Antarctic Survey.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://www.frontiersin.org/Microbiologyen_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCowan, D, Makhalanyane, TP, Dennis PG & Hopkins, DW 2014, 'Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soils', Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 5, pp. 1-10.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1664-302X (online)
dc.identifier.other10.3389/fmicb.2014.00154
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/43517
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherFrontiers Research Foundationen_ZA
dc.rights© 2014 Cowan, Makhalanyane, Dennis and Hopkins. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).en_ZA
dc.subjectAntarcticaen_ZA
dc.subjectMicrobial ecologyen_ZA
dc.subjectSoilen_ZA
dc.subjectHypolithsen_ZA
dc.subjectNitrogenen_ZA
dc.subjectCarbonen_ZA
dc.subjectAdaptationen_ZA
dc.subjectThreatsen_ZA
dc.subjectImpactsen_ZA
dc.titleMicrobial ecology and biogeochemistry of continental Antarctic soilsen_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA

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