@article {4991, title = {An analysis of McMurdo Dry Valleys{\textquoteright} lotic habitats within Antarctica{\textquoteright}s protected area network and addressing gaps in biodiversity protection}, journal = {Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2024}, month = {08/2024}, abstract = {

The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica\’s largest ice-free region, hosts unique terrestrial ecosystems, with biodiversity concentrated in the aquatic environments and surrounding soils. Despite being a scientific hub, the creation of the MDV Antarctic Specially Managed Area (ASMA) made significant steps toward protecting the environment from degradation from human usage. However, with sustained human presence within the MDV, increasing human activity across Antarctica, and aquatic ecosystems subject to environmental change, the effectiveness of current protections for biodiversity conservation requires evaluation. This study employs spatial analysis of MDV protected areas, streams, lakes, research camps, and tourist sites to assess the robustness of current protections, identify underprotected areas, and outline steps for future protection. Within the MDV ASMA, five smaller Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) exist. Only two ASPAs contain streams, and only one with a full hydrologic catchment. With roughly 6\% of the lotic habitat area protected by ASPAs, the MDV fall short of global goals for freshwater protection. Past successful management of the MDV shows the effectiveness of collaboration and early action, and amongst calls for ASPA network expansion and restructuring, the MDV has the opportunity to be at the forefront again and increase the protection of Antarctic aquatic ecosystems.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {1523-0430}, doi = {10.1080/15230430.2024.2375176}, url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15230430.2024.2375176}, author = {Wright, Anna T. and Brooks, Cassandra and Michael N. Gooseff and Howkins, Adrian and Chignell, Stephen M.} } @article {4994, title = {The hydrologic and geochemical contributions from snow to streamflow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica}, journal = {Hydrological Processes}, volume = {38}, year = {2024}, month = {06/2024}, pages = {e15195}, abstract = {

The glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs), Antarctica only flow during the austral summer and contain abundant algal mats which grow at the onset of flow. Their relative abundance in stream channels of this polar desert make the streams biogeochemical hot spots. The MDVs receive minimal precipitation as snow, which is redistributed by wind and deposited in distinct locations, some of which become persistent snow patches each year. Previous studies identified that MDV streamflow comes from a combination of glacier ice and snow, although snow was assumed to contribute little to the overall water budget. This study uses a combination of satellite imagery, terrain analysis, and field measurements to determine where snow patches accumulate and persist across MDV watersheds, and to quantify the potential hydrologic and biogeochemical contributions of snow patches to streams. Watersheds near the coast have the highest snow-covered area and longest snow persistence. Many of these snow patches accumulate within the stream channels, which results in the potential to contribute to streamflow. During the summer of 2021\–2022, stream channel snow patches had the potential to contribute anywhere between \<1\% and 90\% of the total annual discharge in Lake Fryxell Basin streams, and may increase with different hydrometeorological conditions. On average the potential inputs from snow patches to streamflow was between 12\% and 25\% of the annual discharge during the 2021\–2022 season, as determined by snow area and SWE. Snow patches in the majority of the watersheds had higher nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations than stream water, and six streams contained snow with higher N:P ratios than the average N:P in the stream water. This suggests that if such patches melt early in the summer, these nutrient and water inputs could occur at the right time and stoichiometry to be crucial for early season algal mat growth.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Antarctica, ephemeral stream, polar desert hydrology, runoff generation, snow patch, snowmelt}, issn = {0885-6087}, doi = {10.1002/hyp.v38.610.1002/hyp.15195}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hyp.15195}, author = {Wright, Anna T. and Michael N. Gooseff and Bergstrom, Anna J. and Kathleen A. Welch} } @article {4989, title = {Response of a terrestrial polar ecosystem to the March 2022 Antarctic weather anomaly}, journal = {Earth{\textquoteright}s Future}, volume = {12}, year = {2024}, month = {08/2024}, pages = {e2023EF004306}, abstract = {

Record high temperatures were documented in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, on 18 March 2022, exceeding average temperatures for that day by nearly 30\°C. Satellite imagery and stream gage measurements indicate that surface wetting coincided with this warming more than 2 months after peak summer thaw and likely exceeded thresholds for rehydration and activation of resident organisms that typically survive the cold and dry conditions of the polar fall in a freeze-dried state. This weather event is notable in both the timing and magnitude of the warming and wetting when temperatures exceeded 0\°C at a time when biological communities and streams have typically entered a persistent frozen state. Such events may be a harbinger of future climate conditions characterized by warmer temperatures and greater thaw in this region of Antarctica, which could influence the distribution, activity, and abundance of sentinel taxa. Here we describe the ecosystem responses to this weather anomaly reporting on meteorological and hydrological measurements across the region and on later biological observations from Canada Stream, one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems within the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, atmospheric river, climate variability, extreme weather, polar desert, soil biota}, issn = {2328-4277}, doi = {10.1029/2023EF004306}, url = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023EF004306}, author = {John E. Barrett and Adams, Byron J. and Doran, Peter T. and Hilary A. Dugan and Myers, Krista F. and Salvatore, Mark R. and Power, Sarah N. and Snyder, Meredith D. and Wright, Anna T. and Michael N. Gooseff} }