@article {4943, title = {Strong dispersal limitation of microbial communities at Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica}, journal = {mSystems}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {01/2023}, abstract = {

Microbial communities can be structured by both deterministic and stochastic processes, but the relative importance of these processes remains unknown. The ambiguity partly arises from an inability to disentangle soil microbial processes from confounding factors, such as aboveground plant communities or anthropogenic disturbance. In this study, we characterized the relative contributions of determinism and stochasticity to assembly processes of soil bacterial communities across a large environmental gradient of undisturbed Antarctic soils. We hypothesized that harsh soils would impose a strong environmental selection on microbial communities, whereas communities in benign soils would be structured largely by dispersal. Contrary to our expectations, dispersal was the dominant assembly mechanism across the entire soil environmental gradient, including benign environments. The microbial community composition reflects slowly changing soil conditions and dispersal limitation of isolated sites. Thus, stochastic processes, as opposed to deterministic, are primary drivers of soil ecosystem assembly across space at our study site. This is especially surprising given the strong environmental constraints on soil microorganisms in one of the harshest environments on the planet, suggesting that dispersal could be a driving force in microbial community assembly in soils worldwide.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, community assembly, determinism, dispersal, niche, stochasticity}, doi = {10.1128/msystems.01254-22}, url = {https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/msystems.01254-22}, author = {Lemoine, Nathan P. and Byron Adams and Melisa A. Diaz and Dragone, Nicholas B. and Franco, Andr{\'e} L. C. and Noah Fierer and W. Berry Lyons and Hogg, Ian D. and Diana H. Wall}, editor = {Lurgi, Miguel} } @article {4295, title = {Soil nematode abundance and functional group composition at a global scale}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {572}, year = {2019}, month = {08/2019}, abstract = {

Soil organisms are a crucial part of the terrestrial biosphere. Despite their importance for ecosystem functioning, few quantitative, spatially explicit models of the active belowground community currently exist. In particular, nematodes are the most abundant animals on Earth, filling all trophic levels in the soil food web. Here we use 6,759 georeferenced samples to generate a mechanistic understanding of the patterns of the global abundance of nematodes in the soil and the composition of their functional groups. The resulting maps show that 4.4 \± 0.64 \× 1020 nematodes (with a total biomass of approximately 0.3 gigatonnes) inhabit surface soils across the world, with higher abundances in sub-Arctic regions (38\% of total) than in temperate (24\%) or tropical (21\%) regions. Regional variations in these global trends also provide insights into local patterns of soil fertility and functioning. These high-resolution models provide the first steps towards representing soil ecological processes in global biogeochemical models and will enable the prediction of elemental cycling under current and future climate scenarios.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-019-1418-6}, url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1418-6}, author = {van den Hoogen, Johan and Geisen, Stefan and Routh, Devin and Ferris, Howard and Traunspurger, Walter and Wardle, D and de Goede, Ron G. M. and Byron Adams and Ahmad, Wasim and Andriuzzi, Walter S. and Richard D. Bardgett and Bonkowski, Michael and Campos-Herrera, Raquel and Cares, Juvenil E. and Caruso, Tancredi and de Brito Caixeta, Larissa and Chen, Xiaoyun and Costa, Sofia R. and Creamer, Rachel and Mauro da Cunha Castro, Jos{\'e} and Dam, Marie and Djigal, Djibril and Escuer, Miguel and Griffiths, Bryan S. and Guti{\'e}rrez, Carmen and Hohberg, Karin and Kalinkina, Daria and Kardol, Paul and Kergunteuil, Alan and Korthals, Gerard and Krashevska, Valentyna and Kudrin, Alexey A. and Li, Qi and Liang, Wenju and Magilton, Matthew and Marais, Mariette and Mart{\'\i}n, Jos{\'e} Antonio Rodr{\'\i}guez and Matveeva, Elizaveta and Mayad, El Hassan and Mulder, Christian and Mullin, Peter and Neilson, Roy and Nguyen, T. A. Duong and Uffe N. Nielsen and Okada, Hiroaki and Rius, Juan Emilio Palomares and Pan, Kaiwen and Peneva, Vlada and Pellissier, Lo{\"\i}c and Carlos Pereira da Silva, Julio and Pitteloud, Camille and Powers, Thomas O. and Powers, Kirsten and Quist, Casper W. and Rasmann, Sergio and Moreno, Sara S{\'a}nchez and Scheu, Stefan and Set{\"a}l{\"a}, Heikki and Sushchuk, Anna and Tiunov, Alexei V. and Trap, Jean and van der Putten, W and Vesterg{\r a}rd, Mette and Villenave, Cecile and Waeyenberge, Lieven and Diana H. Wall and Wilschut, Rutger and Wright, Daniel G. and Yang, Jiue-in and Crowther, Thomas Ward} } @article {4080, title = {Soil biological responses to C, N and P fertilization in a polar desert of Antarctica}, journal = {Soil Biology and Biochemistry}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, chapter = {7}, abstract = {

In the polar desert ecosystem of the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, biology is constrained by available liquid water, low temperatures, as well as the availability of organic matter and nutrient elements. These soil ecosystems are climate-sensitive, where projected future warming may have profound effects on biological communities and biogeochemical cycling. Warmer temperatures will mobilize meltwater from permafrost and glaciers, may increase precipitation and may be accompanied by pulses of nutrient availability. Enhanced water and nutrient availability have the potential to greatly influence desert soil biology and ecosystem processes. The objectives of this 5-year study were to determine which nutrient elements (C, N, P) are most limiting to dry valley soil communities and whether landscape history (i.e.,\ in situ\ soil type and stoichiometry) influences soil community response to nutrient additions. After 3 years of no noticeable response, soil CO2\ flux was significantly higher under addition of C+ N than the other treatments, regardless of\ in situ\ soil stoichiometry, but microbial biomass and invertebrate abundance were variable and not influenced in the same manner. A stable isotope incubation suggests that fertilization increases C and N mineralization from organic matter via stimulating microbial activity, with loss of both the applied treatments as well\ in situ\ C and N. However, these responses are relatively short-lived, suggesting long-term impacts on C and N cycling would only occur if meltwater and nutrient pulses are sustained over time, a scenario that is increasingly likely for the dry valleys.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {00380717}, doi = {10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.03.025}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0038071718301081}, author = {Ball, Becky and Byron Adams and John E. Barrett and Diana H. Wall and Ross A. Virginia} } @article {4107, title = {Spatial and temporal patterns of microbial mats and associated invertebrates along an Antarctic stream}, journal = {Polar Biology}, volume = {41}, year = {2018}, month = {10/2018}, pages = {1911{\textendash}1921}, abstract = {

Microbial biofilms are biological hotspots in many alpine and polar ecosystems, but the controls on and functional significance of their fauna are little known. We studied cyanobacterial mats and the underlying sediment in a glacial meltwater stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. We investigated mat biomass (total and phototrophic), diatoms, and micro-meiofauna (nematodes, rotifers, and tardigrades) at nine sites along a 1670 m stream reach in a cold, low-flow growing season, and in a warmer growing season in which peak flows (above 100 L s\−1) scoured the mats. Diatom and invertebrate communities were not related, but mat biomass in the low-flow year was negatively related to nematode abundance, including that of the omnivore\ Eudorylaimus. In the high-flow year that followed, invertebrate abundance was reduced in the mats, diatom community structure was altered, and mat biomass was higher. The difference in invertebrate abundance between years was greater in mats in upstream reaches, where the greatest increases in flow velocity may have occurred, and was negligible in mats in downstream reaches as well as in the sediment beneath the mats. Integrating our results with previous findings, we generate two predictive hypotheses to be tested in glacial meltwater streams: (1) under peak flows invertebrates decline in the microbial mats, while (2) the sediment beneath the mats is a refuge from the flow disturbance. Our results also suggest that, under stable flow conditions, microinvertebrate grazers could exert top-down control on microbial mat biomass.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, diatoms, Disturbance, Dry valleys, Epilithon, Microfauna, Stream flow}, doi = {10.1007/s00300-018-2331-4}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-018-2331-4}, author = {Andriuzzi, Walter S. and Lee F. Stanish and Breana L. Simmons and Chris Jaros and Byron Adams and Diana H. Wall and Diane M. McKnight} } @article {4059, title = {Stable C and N isotope ratios reveal soil food web structure and identify the nematode Eudorylaimus antarcticus as an omnivore{\textendash}predator in~Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, journal = {Polar Biology}, volume = {41}, year = {2018}, month = {05/2018}, pages = {1013{\textendash}1018}, abstract = {

Soil food webs of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica are simple. These include primary trophic levels of mosses, algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, archaea, and fungi, and their protozoan and metazoan consumers (including relatively few species of nematodes, tardigrades, rotifers, and microarthropods). These biota are patchily distributed across the landscape, with greatest faunal biodiversity associated with wet soil. Understanding trophic structure is critical to studies of biotic interactions and distribution; yet, McMurdo Dry Valley soil food web structure has been inferred from limited laboratory culturing and micro- scopic observations. To address this, we measured stable isotope natural abundance ratios of C (13C/12C) and N (15N/14N) for di erent metazoan taxa (using whole body biomass) to determine soil food web structure in Taylor Valley, Antarctica. Nitrogen isotopes were most useful in di erentiating trophic levels because they fractionated predictably at higher trophic levels. Using 15N/14N, we found that three trophic levels were present in wet soil habitats. While cyanobacterial mats were the primary trophic level, the nematode Plectus murrayi, tardigrade Acutuncus antarcticus, and rotifers composed a secondary trophic level of grazers. Eudorylaimus antarcticus had a 15N/14N ratio that was 2\–4\‰ higher than that of grazers, indicating that this species is the sole member of a tertiary trophic level. Understanding the trophic positions of soil fauna is critical to predictions of current and future species interactions and their distributions for the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1007/s00300-017-2243-8}, url = {http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-017-2243-8}, author = {Shaw, E. Ashley and Byron Adams and John E. Barrett and W. Berry Lyons and Ross A. Virginia and Diana H. Wall} } @article {4139, title = {Stoichiometric Shifts in Soil C:N:P Promote Bacterial Taxa Dominance, Maintain Biodiversity, and Deconstruct Community Assemblages}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, abstract = {

Imbalances in C:N:P supply ratios may cause bacterial resource limitations and constrain biogeochemical processes, but the importance of shifts in soil stoichiometry are complicated by the nearly limitless interactions between an immensely rich species pool and a multiple chemical resource forms. To more clearly identify the impact of soil C:N:P on bacteria, we evaluated the cumulative effects of single and coupled long-term nutrient additions (i.e., C as mannitol, N as equal concentrations NH4 + and NO3 \− , and P as Na3PO4) and water on communities in an Antarctic polar desert, Taylor Valley. Untreated soils possessed relatively low bacterial diversity, simplified organic C sources due to the absence of plants, limited inorganic N, and excess soil P potentially attenuating links between C:N:P. After 6 years of adding resources, an alleviation of C and N colimitation allowed one rare Micrococcaceae, an Arthrobacter species, to dominate, comprising 47\% of the total community abundance and elevating soil respiration by 136\% relative to untreated soils. The addition of N alone reduced C:N ratios, elevated bacterial richness and diversity, and allowed rare taxa relying on ammonium and nitrite for metabolism to become more abundant [e.g., nitrite oxidizing Nitrospira species (Nitrosomonadaceae), denitrifiers utilizing nitrite (Gemmatimonadaceae) and members of Rhodobacteraceae with a high affinity for ammonium]. Based on community co-occurrence networks, lower C:P ratios in soils following P and CP additions created more diffuse and less connected communities by disrupting 73\% of species interactions and selecting for taxa potentially exploiting abundant P. Unlike amended nutrients, water additions alone elicited no lasting impact on communities. Our results suggest that as soils become nutrient rich a wide array of outcomes are possible from species dominance and the deconstruction of species interconnectedness to the maintenance of biodiversity.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, ecological stoichiometry, Lake Fryxell Basin, McMurdo Dry Valleys, network community modeling, nutrient colimitation, Solirubrobacteriaceae}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2018.01401}, url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01401/full}, author = {Aanderud, Zachary T. and Saurey, Sabrina D. and Ball, Becky and Diana H. Wall and John E. Barrett and Muscarella, Mario E. and Griffin, Natasha A. and Ross A. Virginia and Byron Adams} } @article {3532, title = {Soil biodiversity and human health}, journal = {Nature}, year = {2015}, month = {11/2015}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {0028-0836}, doi = {10.1038/nature15744}, url = {http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/nature15744}, author = {Diana H. Wall and Uffe N. Nielsen and Six, Johan} } @article {3220, title = {Soil animal responses to moisture availability are largely scale, not ecosystem dependent: insight from a cross-site study}, journal = {Global Change Biology}, volume = {20}, year = {2014}, month = {08/2014}, pages = {2631 - 2643}, chapter = {2631}, abstract = {

Climate change will result in reduced soil water availability in much of the world either due to changes in precipitation or increased temperature and evapotranspiration. How communities of mites and nematodes may respond to changes in moisture availability is not well known, yet these organisms play important roles in decomposition and nutrient cycling processes. We determined how communities of these organisms respond to changes in moisture availability and whether common patterns occur along fine-scale gradients of soil moisture within four individual ecosystem types (mesic, xeric and arid grasslands and a polar desert) located in the western United States and Antarctica, as well as across a cross-ecosystem moisture gradient (CEMG) of all four ecosystems considered together. An elevation transect of three sampling plots was monitored within each ecosystem and soil samples were collected from these plots and from existing experimental precipitation manipulations within each ecosystem once in fall of 2009 and three times each in 2010 and 2011. Mites and nematodes were sorted to trophic groups and analyzed to determine community responses to changes in soil moisture availability. We found that while both mites and nematodes increased with available soil moisture across the CEMG, within individual ecosystems, increases in soil moisture resulted in decreases to nematode communities at all but the arid grassland ecosystem; mites showed no responses at any ecosystem. In addition, we found changes in proportional abundances of mite and nematode trophic groups as soil moisture increased within individual ecosystems, which may result in shifts within soil food webs with important consequences for ecosystem functioning. We suggest that communities of soil animals at local scales may respond predictably to changes in moisture availability regardless of ecosystem type but that additional factors, such as climate variability, vegetation composition, and soil properties may influence this relationship over larger scales.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.2014.20.issue-810.1111/gcb.12522}, url = {http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/gcb.2014.20.issue-8http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/gcb.12522}, author = {Sylvain, Zachary A. and Diana H. Wall and Cherwin, Karie L. and Debra P. C. Peters and Reichmann, Lara G. and Osvaldo E. Sala} } @article {3219, title = {The spatial structure of Antarctic biodiversity}, journal = {Ecological Monographs}, volume = {84}, year = {2014}, month = {05/2014}, pages = {203 - 244}, abstract = {

Patterns of environmental spatial structure lie at the heart of the most fundamental and familiar patterns of diversity on Earth. Antarctica contains some of the strongest environmental gradients on the planet and therefore provides an ideal study ground to test hypotheses on the relevance of environmental variability for biodiversity. To answer the pivotal question, \“How does spatial variation in physical and biological environmental properties across the Antarctic drive biodiversity?\” we have synthesized current knowledge on environmental variability across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine Antarctic biomes and related this to the observed biotic patterns. The most important physical driver of Antarctic terrestrial communities is the availability of liquid water, itself driven by solar irradiance intensity. Patterns of biota distribution are further strongly influenced by the historical development of any given location or region, and by geographical barriers. In freshwater ecosystems, free water is also crucial, with further important influences from salinity, nutrient availability, oxygenation, and characteristics of ice cover and extent. In the marine biome there does not appear to be one major driving force, with the exception of the oceanographic boundary of the Polar Front. At smaller spatial scales, ice cover, ice scour, and salinity gradients are clearly important determinants of diversity at habitat and community level. Stochastic and extreme events remain an important driving force in all environments, particularly in the context of local extinction and colonization or recolonization, as well as that of temporal environmental variability. Our synthesis demonstrates that the Antarctic continent and surrounding oceans provide an ideal study ground to develop new biogeographical models, including life history and physiological traits, and to address questions regarding biological responses to environmental variability and change.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {0012-9615}, doi = {10.1890/12-2216.1}, url = {http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/12-2216.1}, author = {Peter Convey and Steven L. Chown and Clarke, Andrew and Barnes, David K. A. and Bokhorst, Stef and Vonda Cummings and Hugh W. Ducklow and Francesco Frati and Green, T. G. Allan and Shulamit Gordon and Griffiths, Huw J. and Clive Howard-Williams and Huiskes, Ad H. L. and Johanna Laybourn-Parry and W. Berry Lyons and McMinn, Andrew and Morley, Simon A. and Lloyd S. Peck and Quesada, Antonio and Robinson, Sharon A. and Schiaparelli, Stefano and Diana H. Wall} } @article {1248, title = {The southernmost worm, Scottnema lindsayae (Nematoda): diversity, dispersal and ecological stability.}, journal = {Polar Biology}, volume = {30}, year = {2007}, pages = {809-815}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Byron Adams and Diana H. Wall and Gozel, U and Dillman, A and Chaston, J and Hogg, I} } @article {1283, title = {Salt tolerance and survival thresholds for two species of Antarctic soil nematodes}, journal = {Polar Biology}, volume = {29}, year = {2006}, pages = {643-651}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Johnson N. Nkem and Ross A. Virginia and John E. Barrett and Diana H. Wall and Li, G} } @article {1274, title = {Soil carbon turnover model for the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica}, journal = {Soil Biology and Biochemistry}, volume = {38}, year = {2006}, pages = {3065-3082}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {John E. Barrett and Ross A. Virginia and Andrew N. Parsons and Diana H. Wall} } @article {1277, title = {A synthesis of soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in Victoria Land, Antarctica}, journal = {Soil Biology and Biochemistry}, volume = {38}, year = {2006}, pages = {3001-3002}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Diana H. Wall and Byron Adams and John E. Barrett and D. W. Hopkins} } @inbook {1309, title = {Soils, freshwater and marine sediments: the need for integrative landscape science}, booktitle = {Marine Ecology Progress Series}, series = {Theme Section: Bridging the Gap between Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecology.}, volume = {304}, year = {2005}, pages = {302-307}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Diana H. Wall and Edward Ayres and Valerie Behan-Pelletier and Covich, A and P.V.R. Snelgrove}, editor = {H. Browman and K. I. Stergiou} } @article {1342, title = {Soil carbon dioxide flux from Antarctic Dry Valley soils}, journal = {Ecosystems}, volume = {7}, year = {2004}, pages = {286-295}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Andrew N. Parsons and John E. Barrett and Diana H. Wall and Ross A. Virginia} } @book {1344, title = {Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Soil and Sediments.}, series = {Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) Series Vol. 64}, year = {2004}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Diana H. Wall}, editor = {Diana H. Wall} } @article {1376, title = {Snow patch influence on soil biogeochemical processes and invertebrate distribution in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica}, journal = {Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research}, volume = {35}, year = {2002}, month = {02/2003}, pages = {91-99}, type = {Journal}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Biggie}, doi = {10.1657/1523-0430(2003)035[0091:SPIOSB]2.0.CO;2}, url = {http://instaar.metapress.com/content/r086455ju7213711/}, author = {Michael N. Gooseff and John E. Barrett and Peter T. Doran and Andrew G Fountain and W. Berry Lyons and Andrew N. Parsons and Porazinska, D and Ross A. Virginia and Diana H. Wall} } @inbook {1407, title = {Soil Biodiversity}, booktitle = {Global Biodiversity in a Changing Environment}, year = {2001}, pages = {47-82}, publisher = {Springer Verlag}, organization = {Springer Verlag}, address = {New York}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Diana H. Wall and Gina A. Adams and Andrew N. Parsons}, editor = {F. S. Chapin and Osvaldo E. Sala and E. Huber-Sannwald} } @inbook {1438, title = {Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning}, booktitle = {Biological Resource Management. Connecting Science and Policy}, year = {2000}, pages = {283-290}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Diana H. Wall and J.M. Lynch}, editor = {E. Balazs and E. Galante and J.M. Lynch and J.S. Schepers} } @inbook {1444, title = {Soil Conservation}, booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Biodiversity}, volume = {5}, year = {2000}, pages = {315-326}, publisher = {Academic Press}, organization = {Academic Press}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Porazinska, D and Diana H. Wall}, editor = {S. Levin} } @inbook {1471, title = {Soil Biodiversity: life in soil}, booktitle = {The Living Planet in Crisis}, year = {1999}, pages = {124-128}, publisher = {Columbia University Press}, organization = {Columbia University Press}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Diana H. Wall}, editor = {J. Cracraft and F. Griffo} } @inbook {1472, title = {Soil invertebrates}, booktitle = {Standard Soil Methods for Long Term Ecological Research}, year = {1999}, pages = {349-377}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, organization = {Oxford University Press}, address = {New York}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {David C. Coleman and J.M. Blair and Elliot, E and Diana H. Wall} } @mastersthesis {1610, title = {Soil nematode distribution and genetic diversity in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica}, volume = {M.S.}, year = {1996}, school = {Colorado State University}, type = {masters}, address = {Fort Collins, CO}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Courtright, Ericha M and Diana H. Wall} }