01860nas a2200253 4500008004100000245011500041210006900156260001200225490000600237520106300243100002101306700001801327700002201345700002101367700002101388700002001409700001901429700002201448700002401470700002201494700002001516700001701536856005301553 2019 eng d00aNematodes in a polar desert reveal the relative role of biotic interactions in the coexistence of soil animals0 aNematodes in a polar desert reveal the relative role of biotic i c02/20190 v23 a

Abiotic factors are major determinants of soil animal distributions and their dominant role is pronounced in extreme ecosystems, with biotic interactions seemingly playing a minor role. We modelled co-occurrence and distribution of the three nematode species that dominate the soil food web of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (Antarctica). Abiotic factors, other biotic groups, and autocorrelation all contributed to structuring nematode species distributions. However, after removing their effects, we found that the presence of the most abundant nematode species greatly, and negatively, affected the probability of detecting one of the other two species. We observed similar patterns in relative abundances for two out of three pairs of species. Harsh abiotic conditions alone are insufficient to explain contemporary nematode distributions whereas the role of negative biotic interactions has been largely underestimated in soil. The future challenge is to understand how the effects of global change on biotic interactions will alter species coexistence.

1 aCaruso, Tancredi1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aNielsen, Uffe, N.1 aBottos, Eric, M.1 aLee, Charles, K.1 aHopkins, D., W.1 aCary, Craig, S1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aGreen, T., G. Allan1 aStorey, Bryan, C.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aAdams, Byron uhttp://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-018-0260-y03560nas a2200397 4500008004100000022001400041245005200055210004800107260001200155300001400167490000700181520243500188100001802623700002202641700001902663700002502682700001902707700002002726700002202746700002102768700002402789700002102813700002302834700002702857700002302884700002802907700001702935700001902952700002202971700002002993700002103013700002503034700002603059700002003085856005703105 2014 eng d a0012-961500aThe spatial structure of Antarctic biodiversity0 aspatial structure of Antarctic biodiversity c05/2014 a203 - 2440 v843 a

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.

 

1 aConvey, Peter1 aChown, Steven, L.1 aClarke, Andrew1 aBarnes, David, K. A.1 aBokhorst, Stef1 aCummings, Vonda1 aDucklow, Hugh, W.1 aFrati, Francesco1 aGreen, T., G. Allan1 aGordon, Shulamit1 aGriffiths, Huw, J.1 aHoward-Williams, Clive1 aHuiskes, Ad, H. L.1 aLaybourn-Parry, Johanna1 aLyons, Berry1 aMcMinn, Andrew1 aMorley, Simon, A.1 aPeck, Lloyd, S.1 aQuesada, Antonio1 aRobinson, Sharon, A.1 aSchiaparelli, Stefano1 aWall, Diana, H. uhttp://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/12-2216.1