Zonation of Vegetation Related to Penguin Rookeries on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic

Smykla, Jerzy; Wołek, Jerzy; Barcikowski, Adam

doi:10.1657/1523-0430(2007)39[143:zovrtp]2.0.co;2

Cited by 64 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The only factors significantly influencing the springtail community were the cover of the green nitrophilous alga P. crispa, total plant biomass and soil conductivity. P. crispa is known for its growth directly on guano-covered sites close to marine bird and mammal aggregations both in Arctic and Antarctic (Matuła et al 2007;Smykla et al 2007). Algal cover and soil conductivity, which is indirectly connected with content of several ions, changed along the seabird colony-sea axis and guano deposition gradient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite a widespread recognition of the role of seabird colonies in the fertilization of nutrient-poor polar terrestrial ecosystems, qualitative and quantitative data documenting any consequential influence on soil invertebrate communities are still lacking. Therefore, we studied community structure and abundance of springtails (Collembola) in ornithogenic tundra near two large seabird colonies in Hornsund, south-west Spitsbergen. We found considerably (5-209) higher densities and biomass of Collembola in the vicinities of both colonies (the effect extending up to ca. 50 m from the colony edge) than in comparable control areas of tundra not influenced by allochtonous nutrient input. The most common springtails observed in the seabird-influenced areas were Folsomia quadrioculata, Hypogastrura viatica and Megaphorura arctica. The latter species appeared the most resistant to ornithogenic nutrient input and was found commonly closest to the bird colonies. Collembolan abundance decreased with increasing distance from the seabird colonies. However, relationships between collembolan density and specific physicochemical soil parameters and vegetation characteristics were weak. The most important factors were the cover of the nitrophilous green alga Prasiola crispa, total plant biomass and soil solution conductivity, all of which were correlated with distance from the colony and estimated amount by guano deposition. Community composition and abundance of springtails showed no evidence of being influenced of seabird diet, with no differences apparent between communities found in ornithogenic tundra developing in the vicinity of planktivorous and piscivorous seabird colonies. The study provides confirmation of the influence of marine nutrient input by seabirds on soil microfaunal communities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Plant communities in ice-free areas around Ecology Glacier have been studied extensively (Olech 2002;Smykla et al 2007;Parnikoza et al 2008;Victoria et al 2009), but little is known about bacterial succession, especially when there is ongoing cryoturbation. We hypothesize that varying soil conditions here have a large discriminating effect on the nature of the microbial community, leading to the establishment of dominant and robust 'pioneer' microbes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Glacier forelands are excellent sites in which to study microbial succession because conditions change rapidly in the emerging soil. Development of the bacterial community was studied along two transects on lateral moraines of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, by culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches (denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis). Environmental conditions such as cryoturbation and soil composition affected both abundance and phylogenetic diversity of bacterial communities. Microbiocenosis structure along transect 1 (severe cryoturbation) differed markedly from that along transect 2 (minor cryoturbation). Soil physical and chemical factors changed along the chronosequence (time since exposure) and influenced the taxonomic diversity of cultivated bacteria, particularly along transect 2. Arthrobacter spp. played a pioneer role and were present in all soil samples, but were most abundant along transect 1. Cultivated bacteria isolated from transect 2 were taxonomically more diverse than those cultivated from transect 1; those from transect 1 tended to express a broader range of enzyme and assimilation activities. Our data suggest that cryoturbation is a major factor in controlling bacterial community development in postglacial soils, shed light on microbial succession in glacier forelands, and add a new parameter to models that describe succession phenomena.

show abstract

“…-The particu− lar climatic and environmental conditions of the Arctic influence the formation of particular tundra communities with a large proportion of cyanobacteria and green algae. The specific habitat conditions in the area caused by bird colonies and the highest concentration of excrements (Akiyama et al 1986;Smykla et al 2007;Jakubas et al 2008) led to the formation of a community with a clear dominance of Prasiola crispa. It is a typical species in polar and cold−temperate regions, where it is usually associated with habitats rich in organic nitrogen (Klekowski and Opa− liński 1986;Olech 1990;Graeve et al 2002;Holzinger et al 2006;Matuła et al 2007;Karsten et al 2009;Richter et al 2009;Kosugi et al 2010;Broady et al 2012).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of cyanobacterial and algal assemblages with vegetation in the high Arctic tundra (West Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago)

Richter¹,

Pietryka²,

Matuła³

2015

Polish Polar Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The paper presents the results of a study of cyanobacteria and green algae assem− blages occurring in various tundra types determined on the basis of mosses and vascular plants and habitat conditions. The research was carried out during summer in the years 2009-2013 on the north sea−coast of Hornsund fjord (West Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipel− ago). 58 sites were studied in various tundra types differing in composition of vascular plants, mosses and in trophy and humidity. 141 cyanobacteria and green algae were noted in the research area in total. Cyanobacteria and green algae flora is a significant element of many tundra types and sometimes even dominate there. Despite its importance, it has not been hitherto taken into account in the description and classification of tundra. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the legitimacy of using phycoflora in supplementing the descriptions of hitherto described tundra and distinguishing new tundra types. Numeric hierarchical−accumulative classification (MVSP 3.1 software) methods were used to ana− lyze the cyanobacterial and algal assemblages and their co−relations with particular tundra types. The analysis determined dominant and distinctive species in the communities in con− cordance with ecologically diverse types of tundra. The results show the importance of these organisms in the composition of the vegetation of tundra types and their role in the ecosystems of this part of the Arctic.

show abstract

Zonation of Vegetation Related to Penguin Rookeries on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic

Cited by 64 publications

References 34 publications

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

Culturable bacteria community development in postglacial soils of Ecology Glacier, King George Island, Antarctica

Relationship of cyanobacterial and algal assemblages with vegetation in the high Arctic tundra (West Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About