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| Titel |
Microbial biomass and basal respiration of selected Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic soils in the areas of some Russian polar stations |
| VerfasserIn |
E. Abakumov, N. Mukhametova |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1869-9510
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Solid Earth ; 5, no. 2 ; Nr. 5, no. 2 (2014-07-29), S.705-712 |
| Datensatznummer |
250115320
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/se-5-705-2014.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Antarctica is a unique place for soil, biological, and ecological
investigations. Soils of Antarctica have been studied intensively during the
last century, when different national Antarctic expeditions visited the sixth
continent with the aim of investigating nature and the environment. Antarctic
investigations are comprised of field surveys mainly in the terrestrial
landscapes, where the polar stations of different countries are situated.
That is why the main and most detailed soil surveys were conducted in the
McMurdo Valleys, Transantarctic Mountains, South Shetland Islands, Larsemann
Hills and the Schirmacher Oasis. Our investigations were conducted during the
53rd and 55th Russian Antarctic expeditions in the base of soil pits, and
samples were collected in Sub-Antarctic and Antarctic regions. Sub-Antarctic
or maritime landscapes are considered to be very different from Antarctic
landscapes due to differing climatic and geogenic conditions. Soils of
diverse zonal landscapes were studied with the aim of assessing the microbial
biomass level, basal respiration rates and metabolic activity of microbial
communities. This investigation shows that Antarctic soils are quite diverse
in profile organization and carbon content. In general, Sub-Antarctic soils
are characterized by more developed humus (sod) organo-mineral horizons as
well as by an upper organic layer. The most developed organic layers were
revealed in peat soils of King George Island, where its thickness reach, in
some cases, was 80 cm. These soils as well as soils formed under guano are
characterized by the highest amount of total organic carbon (TOC), between
7.22 and 33.70%. Coastal and continental Antarctic soils exhibit less
developed Leptosols, Gleysols, Regolith and rare Ornhitosol, with TOC levels
between 0.37 and 4.67%. The metabolic ratios and basal respiration were
higher in Sub-Antarctic soils than in Antarctic ones, which can be
interpreted as a result of higher amounts of fresh organic remnants in
organic and organo-mineral horizons. The soils of King George Island also
have higher portions of microbial biomass (max 1.54 mg g−1) compared
to coastal (max 0.26 mg g−1) and continental (max 0.22 mg g−1)
Antarctic soils. Sub-Antarctic soils differ from Antarctic ones mainly by
having increased organic layer thickness and total organic carbon content,
higher microbial biomass carbon content, basal respiration, and metabolic
activity levels. |
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