@article {4646, title = {Geochemical zones and environmental gradients for soils from the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica}, journal = {Biogeosciences}, volume = {18}, year = {2021}, month = {03/2021}, pages = {1629 - 1644}, abstract = {

Previous studies have established links between biodiversity and soil geochemistry in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, where environmental gradients are important determinants of soil biodiversity. However, these gradients are not well established in the central Transantarctic Mountains, which are thought to represent some of the least hospitable Antarctic soils. We analyzed 220 samples from 11 ice-free areas along the Shackleton Glacier (~85\°S), a major outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. We established three zones of distinct geochemical gradients near the head of the glacier (upper), its central part (middle), and at the mouth (lower). The upper zone had the highest water-soluble salt concentrations with total salt concentrations exceeding 80 000 \µg g-1, while the lower zone had the lowest water-soluble N:P ratios, suggesting that, in addition to other parameters (such as proximity to water and/or ice), the lower zone likely represents the most favorable ecological habitats. Given the strong dependence of geochemistry on geographic parameters, we developed multiple linear regression and random forest models to predict soil geochemical trends given latitude, longitude, elevation, distance from the coast, distance from the glacier, and soil moisture (variables which can be inferred from remote measurements). Confidence in our random forest model predictions was moderately high with R2 values for total water-soluble salts, water-soluble N:P, ClO4-, and ClO3- of 0.81, 0.88, 0.78, and 0.74, respectively. These modeling results can be used to predict geochemical gradients and estimate salt concentrations for other Transantarctic Mountain soils, information that can ultimately be used to better predict distributions of soil biota in this remote region.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.5194/bg-18-1629-2021}, url = {https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/1629/2021/}, author = {Melisa A. Diaz and Christopher B. Gardner and Welch, Susan A. and W. Andrew Jackson and Adams, Byron J. and Diana H. Wall and Hogg, Ian D. and Noah Fierer and W. Berry Lyons} } @article {4488, title = {Genetic diversity of soil invertebrates corroborates timing estimates for past collapses of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, year = {2020}, month = {08/2020}, abstract = {

During austral summer field seasons between 1999 and 2018, we sampled at 91 locations throughout southern Victoria Land and along the Transantarctic Mountains for six species of endemic microarthropods (Collembola), covering a latitudinal range from 76.0\°S to 87.3\°S. We assembled individual mitochondrial cyto-chrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences (n = 866) and found high levels of sequence divergence at both small (\<10 km) and large (\>600 km) spatial scales for four of the six Collembola species. We applied molecular clock estimates and assessed genetic divergences relative to the timing of past glacial cycles, including collapses of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). We found that genetically distinct lineages within three species have likely been isolated for at least 5.54 My to 3.52 My, while the other three species diverged more recently (\<2 My). We suggest that Collembola had greater dispersal opportunities under past warmer climates, via flotation along coastal margins. Similarly increased opportunities for dispersal may occur under contemporary climate warming scenarios, which could influence the genetic structure of extant populations. As Collembola are a living record of past landscape evolution within Antarctica, these findings provide biological evidence to support geological and glaciological estimates of historical WAIS dynamics over the last ca. 5 My.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, climate change, microarthropods, molecular clock, phylogeography, terrestrial biodiversity}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2007925117}, url = {https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/08/19/2007925117}, author = {Gemma E. Collins and Hogg, Ian D. and Convey, Peter and Sancho, Leopoldo G. and Cowan, Don A. and W. Berry Lyons and Byron Adams and Diana H. Wall and Allan Green, T. G.} } @article {4014, title = {Genetic diversity among populations of Antarctic springtails (Collembola) within the Mackay Glacier ecotone 1}, journal = {Genome}, volume = {59}, year = {2016}, month = {Jan-09-2016}, pages = {762 - 770}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {0831-2796}, doi = {10.1139/gen-2015-0194}, url = {http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/gen-2015-0194}, author = {Clare R. Beet and Hogg, Ian D. and Gemma E. Collins and Cowan, Don A. and Diana H. Wall and Byron Adams and John-James Wilson} } @article {3536, title = {Global change and Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity}, journal = {Polar Biology}, volume = {34}, year = {2011}, month = {11/2011}, pages = {1625 - 1627}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {0722-4060}, doi = {10.1007/s00300-011-1108-9}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-011-1108-9}, author = {Hogg, Ian D. and Diana H. Wall} }