02735nas a2200325   4500008004100000022001400041245008600055210006900141260001200210490000700222520179000229653001502019653001302034653001002047653002202057653001002079100002602089700002402115700002502139700002102164700001802185700002502203700002102228700002202249700001902271700002402290700002102314700001702335856005702352       2025                        eng d  a0722-406000aA comprehensive survey of soil microbial diversity across the Antarctic continent0 acomprehensive survey of soil microbial diversity across the Anta  c02/20250 v483 a<p>Antarctic soils are unique from those found nearly anywhere else on Earth yet can still harbor a broad diversity of microorganisms able to tolerate the challenging conditions typical of the continent. For these reasons, microbiologists have been drawn to Antarctica for decades. However, our understanding of which microbes thrive in Antarctic soils and how they to do so remains limited. To help resolve these knowledge gaps, we analyzed a collection of 200 archived Antarctic soils&mdash;from Livingston Island on the Antarctic Peninsula to Cape Hallett in northern Victoria Land. We analyzed the prokaryotic and fungal communities in these soils using both cultivation-independent marker gene sequencing and cultivation-dependent approaches (microbial isolation), paired with extensive soil geochemical analyses. Our cultivation-independent analyses indicate that colder, saltier, and drier soils harbor less diverse communities of bacteria and fungi, distinct from those found in soils with less challenging conditions. We also built a culture collection from a subset of these soils that encompasses more than 50 bacterial and fungal genera, including cold-tolerant organisms, such as &lt;i&gt;Cryobacterium&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Cryomyces&lt;/i&gt;. By directly comparing the diversity of our cultured isolates against our cultivation-independent data, we show that many of the more abundant Antarctic taxa are not readily cultivated and highlight bacterial and fungal taxa that should be the focus of future cultivation efforts. Together, we hope that our collection of isolates, the comprehensive data compiled from the cultivation-independent analyses, and our geochemical analyses will serve as a community resource to accelerate the study of Antarctic soil microbes.</p>10aAntarctica10abacteria10afungi10amicrobial ecology10asoils1 aDragone, Nicholas, B.1 aChildress, Mary, K.1 aVanderburgh, Caihong1 aWillmore, Rachel1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aSancho, Leopoldo, G.1 aLee, Charles, K.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aQuandt, Alisha1 aLeMonte, Joshua, J.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aFierer, Noah  uhttps://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00300-025-03372-y02680nas a2200337   4500008004100000022001400041245015000055210006900205260001200274300000700286490000700293520167400300653001401974653001701988653000902005653001402014653002702028653001502055100002002070700001802090700001902108700002102127700002402148700001702172700002302189700001902212700001502231700001602246700001502262856006502277       2025                        eng d  a0722-406000aInference from eDNA-based field distributions vs laboratory analysis of isolated strains: Physiological performance of non-marine Antarctic biota0 aInference from eDNAbased field distributions vs laboratory analy  c03/2025  a360 v483 a<p>Environmental DNA (eDNA) is frequently used to infer distributions of microorganisms in Antarctica. Their distributions relative to environmental variables are, in turn, sometimes used to infer their physiological range (and a relationship between the two is generally assumed for conservation purposes). We sought to determine whether ecological inferences based on distributions accurately reflect tolerances of the organisms concerned, using 249 legacy non-marine samples from a latitudinal gradient between 72 and 86&deg;S, Antarctica. A cyanobacterium, a heterotrophic bacterium, two eukaryotic algae, two fungi, and a moss were isolated into culture, and their field distributions inferred using eDNA analysis of the samples above. Tolerances of each organism with respect to environmental predictors were then inferred from the eDNA distribution and metadata using Generalised Additive Models. We then measured growth of the cultured isolates in response to a set of these predictors. Laboratory responses were then compared to inferences from the eDNA/metadata. Predictions from eDNA/metadata agreed with the results of physiological laboratory experiments for strains that were detected at high taxonomic resolution in the field samples. However, errors were never completely eliminated, and direct contradictions occurred when strains were represented at lower taxonomic resolution in the field data. We found that accurate ecological inference from eDNA studies would be best achieved via maximising both taxonomic resolution (through marker choice/read length) and ecological signal (through careful sampling design and rigorous metadata collection).</p>10aAntarctic10adistribution10aeDNA10ainference10amicrobial biodiversity10aphysiology1 aNovis, Phil, M.1 aMonks, Adrian1 aHunt, John, E.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aDhami, Manpreet, K.1 aKim, Ji, Hee1 aMitchell, Caroline1 aMorgan, Fraser1 aHawes, Ian1 aAislabie, J1 aBroady, P.  uhttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00300-025-03356-y02267nas a2200265   4500008004100000022001400041245008300055210006900138260001200207490000700219520143800226653002201664653002001686653002401706653002401730653002301754100002501777700002101802700002301823700001701846700002101863700002401884700002201908856007101930       2025                        eng d  a1523-043000aSoil biota sensitivity to hydroclimate variability in a polar desert ecosystem0 aSoil biota sensitivity to hydroclimate variability in a polar de  c05/20250 v573 a<p>An anomalous warm weather event in the Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys on 18 March 2022 created an opportunity to characterize soil biota communities most sensitive to freeze&ndash;thaw stress. This event caused unseasonal melt within Taylor Valley, activating stream water and microbial mats around Canada Stream. Liquid water availability in this polar desert is a driver of soil biota distribution and activity. Because climate change impacts hydrological regimes, we aimed to determine the effect on soil communities. We sampled soils identified from this event that experienced thaw, nearby hyper-arid areas, and wetted areas that did not experience thaw to compare soil bacterial and invertebrate communities. Areas that exhibited evidence of freeze&ndash;thaw supported the highest live and dead nematode counts and were composed of soil taxa from hyper-arid landscapes and wetted areas. They received water inputs from snowpacks, hyporheic water, or glacial melt, contributing to community differences associated with organic matter and salinity gradients. Inundated soils had higher organic matter and lower conductivity (p &lt;&nbsp;.02) and hosted the most diverse microbial and invertebrate communities on average. Our findings suggest that as liquid water becomes more available under predicted climate change, soil communities adapted to the hyper-arid landscape will shift toward diverse, wetted soil communities.</p>10aclimate variation10aextreme weather10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10amicrobial community10asoil invertebrates1 aSnyder, Meredith, D.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aBorgmeier, Abigail1 aJorna, Jesse1 aPower, Sarah, N.1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aBarrett, John, E.  uhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15230430.2025.248528302224nas a2200277   4500008004100000022001400041245011700055210006900172260001200241490000700253520135300260653003401613653001601647653001801663653002401681653002101705653001301726653002601739100002401765700002601789700002401815700002101839700001701860700001901877856005001896       2025                        eng d  a2210-634000aThree new Pseudogymnoascus species (<i>Pseudeurotiaceae</i>, <i>Thelebolales</i>) described from Antarctic soils0 aThree new Pseudogymnoascus species iPseudeurotiaceaei iThelebola  c03/20250 v163 a<p>The genus <i>Pseudogymnoascus</i> includes several species frequently isolated from extreme environments worldwide, including cold environments such as Antarctica. This study describes three new species of <i>Pseudogymnoascus</i>&mdash;<i>P. russus</i> sp. nov., <i>P. irelandiae</i> sp. nov., and <i>P. ramosus</i> sp. nov.&mdash;isolated from Antarctic soils. These species represent the first <i>Pseudogymnoascus</i> taxa to be formally described from Antarctic soil samples, expanding our understanding of fungal biodiversity in this extreme environment. Microscopic descriptions of asexual structures from living cultures, along with measurements of cultural characteristics and growth on various media types at different temperatures, identify three distinct new species. In addition, phylogenetic analyses based on five gene regions (ITS, LSU, MCM7, RPB2, TEF1) and whole-genome proteomes place these new species within three distinct previously described clades: <i>P. irelandiae</i> in clade K, <i>P. ramosus</i> in clade Q, and <i>P. russus</i> in clade B. These results provide further evidence of the extensive undescribed diversity of <i>Pseudogymnoascus</i> in high-latitude soils. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on Antarctic mycology and the broader ecology of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant fungi.</p>10aAntarctic microbial diversity10anew species10aphylogenetics10apsychrophilic fungi10apsychrotolerance10ataxonomy10awhole genome assembly1 aChildress, Mary, K.1 aDragone, Nicholas, B.1 aYoung, Benjamin, D.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aFierer, Noah1 aQuandt, Alisha  uhttps://imafungus.pensoft.net/article/142219/03078nas a2200241   4500008004100000022001300041245011000054210006900164260001200233300001100245490000800256520229200264653002502556653002602581653002802607653002502635653002702660653001802687100001302705700002502718700002102743856007202764       2024                        eng d  a0929139300aAn Antarctic worm and its soil ecosystem: A review of an emerging research program in ecological genomics0 aAntarctic worm and its soil ecosystem A review of an emerging re  c01/2024  a1051100 v1933 a<p>Relationships between the evolution of species and their ecosystems can be difficult to accurately assess due to the high number of confounding biological variables (e.g., biotic interactions among community members and the resulting complex relationships between genetic pathways and organism phenotypes). Thus, progress in ecological genomics by making inferences about fundamental ecological patterns and processes is hampered by high biodiversity and subsequent complex biotic interactions. Study systems that are naturally low in biological and ecological complexity, and strongly structured by abiotic drivers, can serve as models for bridging the gap between controlled mesocosm experiments and natural ecosystems. The terrestrial ecosystems of the Antarctic dry valleys have low biodiversity and constrained ecological complexity, primarily because ecological communities are so strongly shaped by physical, rather than biological, factors. The harsh constraints of the physical environment on organismal evolution and the structure of ecological communities make this an optimal natural system for disentangling the influence of specific environmental parameters on genotype/phenotype and gene by environment interactions. This work reviews the biology, evolution, and ecology of an emerging model organism, the free-living nematode <i>Plectus murrayi</i>, in a model ecosystem, the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. In the MDVs, habitat suitability, including nutrient availability, has been shown to drive organismal (nematode) life history evolution, including growth and reproduction, primarily by way of changes in the expression of developmental genes. Changes in growth rates and reproductive schedules are accomplished primarily through alterations of nuclear rRNA gene copy number. The predicted and observed responses to natural experiments have been replicated in the laboratory, providing a synthesis of field observations and experimental evolution. Studying such natural model systems as this could fill several persistent knowledge gaps in our understanding of how genetic variation, genomic architecture, and gene regulation drive the genotype-phenotype paradigm, and the consequent effects of these drivers on ecosystem structure and functioning.</p>10aecological amplitude10aecological succession10aelemental stoichiometry10aextreme environments10alife history evolution10amodel systems1 aXue, Xia1 aThompson, Andrew, R.1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092913932300308602186nas a2200313   4500008004100000022001400041245009000055210006900145260001200214300001800226490000700244520123000251653002201481653002401503653002001527653001701547653001501564100002201579700002101601700002101622700002201643700002201665700002401687700002101711700002501732700002101757700002501778856006901803       2024                        eng d  a2328-427700aResponse of a terrestrial polar ecosystem to the March 2022 Antarctic weather anomaly0 aResponse of a terrestrial polar ecosystem to the March 2022 Anta  c08/2024  ae2023EF0043060 v123 a<p>Record high temperatures were documented in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, on 18 March 2022, exceeding average temperatures for that day by nearly 30&deg;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&deg;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.</p>10aatmospheric river10aclimate variability10aextreme weather10apolar desert10asoil biota1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aDugan, Hilary, A.1 aMyers, Krista, F.1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aPower, Sarah, N.1 aSnyder, Meredith, D.1 aWright, Anna, T.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.  uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023EF00430602601nas a2200241   4500008004100000022001400041245005900055210005400114260001200168520187700180653001302057653001902070653001702089653001502106653003102121100001702152700002102169700002602190700002302216700003302239700001702272856007002289       2024                        eng d  a0030-129900aThe underground network: Facilitation in soil bacteria0 aunderground network Facilitation in soil bacteria  c06/20243 a<p>Our understanding of the fundamental role that soil bacteria play in the structure and functioning of Earth&#39;s ecosystems is ever expanding, but insight into the nature of interactions within these bacterial communities remains rudimentary. Bacterial facilitation may enhance the establishment, growth, and succession of eukaryotic biota, elevating the complexity and diversity of the entire soil community and thereby modulating multiple ecosystem functions. Global climate change often alters soil bacterial community composition, which, in turn, impacts other dependent biota. However, the impact of climate change on facilitation within bacterial communities remains poorly understood even though it may have important cascading consequences for entire ecosystems. The wealth of metagenomic data currently being generated gives community ecologists the ability to investigate bacterial facilitation in the natural world and how it affects ecological systems responses to climate change. Here, we review current evidence demonstrating the importance of facilitation in promoting emergent properties such as community diversity, ecosystem functioning, and resilience to climate change in soil bacterial communities. We show that a synthesis is currently missing between the abundant data, newly developed models and a coherent ecological framework that addresses these emergent properties. We highlight that including phylogenetic information, the physicochemical environment, and species-specific ecologies can improve our ability to infer interactions in natural soil communities. Following these recommendations, studies on bacterial facilitation will be an important piece of the puzzle to understand the consequences of global change on ecological communities and a model to advance our understanding of facilitation in complex communities more generally.</p>10abacteria10aclimate change10afacilitation10aresilience10astress-gradient hypothesis1 aJorna, Jesse1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aAanderud, Zachary, T.1 aFrandsen, Paul, B.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aKéfi, Sonia  uhttps://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/oik.1029902567nas a2200337   4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260001200213300000900225490000700234520158600241653001601827653001201843653001401855653001901869653001801888100002401906700002201930700002401952700002001976700002101996700002102017700002502038700002102063700002102084700001902105700002102124700001702145700002102162856004602183       2023                        eng d00aThe distribution of surface soil moisture over space and time in eastern Taylor Valley, Antarctica0 adistribution of surface soil moisture over space and time in eas  c06/2023  a31700 v153 a<p>Available soil moisture is thought to be the limiting factor for most ecosystem processes in the cold polar desert of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. Previous studies have shown that microfauna throughout the MDVs are capable of biological activity when sufficient soil moisture is available (~2&ndash;10% gravimetric water content), but few studies have attempted to quantify the distribution, abundance, and frequency of soil moisture on scales beyond that of traditional field work or local field investigations. In this study, we present our work to quantify the soil moisture content of soils throughout the Fryxell basin using multispectral satellite remote sensing techniques. Our efforts demonstrate that ecologically relevant abundances of liquid water are common across the landscape throughout the austral summer. On average, the Fryxell basin of Taylor Valley is modeled as containing 1.5 &plusmn; 0.5% gravimetric water content (GWC) across its non-fluvial landscape with ~23% of the landscape experiencing an average GWC &gt; 2% throughout the study period, which is the observed limit of soil nematode activity. These results indicate that liquid water in the soils of the MDVs may be more abundant than previously thought, and that the distribution and availability of liquid water is dependent on both soil properties and the distribution of water sources. These results can also help to identify ecological hotspots in the harsh polar Antarctic environment and serve as a baseline for detecting future changes in the soil hydrological regime.</p>10aDry valleys10aecology10ahydrology10aremote sensing10asoil moisture1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aFackrell, Laura, E.1 aSokol, Eric, R.1 aLevy, Joseph, S.1 aKuentz, Lily, C.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aPower, Sarah, N.1 aKnightly, Paul1 aMatul, Haley, M.1 aSzutu, Brian1 aDoran, Peter, T.  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/12/317002770nas a2200241   4500008004100000245007200041210006900113260001200182300000800194490000700202520208300209653001502292653001902307653001902326653001302345653002202358653002102380100002902401700002002430700001302450700002102463856004402484       2023                        eng d00aTemperature response of metabolic activity of an Antarctic nematode0 aTemperature response of metabolic activity of an Antarctic nemat  c01/2023  a1090 v123 a<p>Because of climate change, the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica (MCM) have experienced an increase in the frequency and magnitude of summer pulse warming and surface ice and snow melting events. In response to these environmental changes, some nematode species in the MCM have experienced steady population declines over the last three decades, but <i>Plectus murrayi</i>, a mesophilic nematode species, has responded with a steady increase in range and abundance. To determine how <i>P. murrayi</i> responds to increasing temperatures, we measured metabolic heat and CO<sub>2</sub> production rates and calculated O<sub>2</sub> consumption rates as a function of temperature at 5 &deg;C intervals from 5 to 50 &deg;C. Heat, CO<sub>2</sub> production, and O<sub>2</sub> consumption rates increase approximately exponentially up to 40 &deg;C, a temperature never experienced in their polar habitat. Metabolic rates decline rapidly above 40 &deg;C and are irreversibly lost at 50 &deg;C due to thermal stress and mortality. <i>Caenorhabditis elegans</i>, a much more widespread nematode that is found in more temperate environments reaches peak metabolic heat rate at just 27 &deg;C, above which it experiences high mortality due to thermal stress. At temperatures from 10 to 40 &deg;C, <i>P. murrayi</i> produces about 6 times more CO<sub>2</sub> than the O<sub>2</sub> it consumes, a respiratory quotient indicative of either acetogenesis or de novo lipogenesis. No potential acetogenic microbes were identified in the <i>P. murrayi</i> microbiome, suggesting that <i>P. murrayi</i> is producing increased CO<sub>2</sub> as a byproduct of de novo lipogenesis. This phenomenon, in conjunction with increased summer temperatures in their polar habitat, will likely lead to increased demand for carbon and subsequent increases in CO<sub>2</sub> production, population abundance, and range expansion. If such changes are not concomitant with increased carbon inputs, we predict the MCM soil ecosystems will experience dramatic declines in functional and taxonomic diversity.</p>10aAntarctica10acarbon cycling10aclimate change10anematode10arespiration rates10asoil temperature1 aRobinson, Colin, Michael1 aHansen, Lee, D.1 aXue, Xia1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/1/10902771nas a2200325   4500008004100000022001400041245013500055210006900190260001200259300001000271490000700281520179400288653001302082653001302095653001002108653001302118653002002131653001702151653001702168653003102185100002602216700001902242700002002261700002102281700001802302700002202320700002102342700002402363856005802387       2022                        eng d  a0022-364600aBlowin’ in the wind: Dispersal, structure, and metacommunity dynamics of aeolian diatoms in the McMurdo Sound region, Antarctica0 aBlowin in the wind Dispersal structure and metacommunity dynamic  c02/2022  a36-540 v583 a<p>Diatom metacommunities are structured by environmental, historical, and spatial factors that are often attributed to organism dispersal. In the McMurdo Sound region (MSR) of Antarctica, wind connects aquatic habitats through delivery of inorganic and organic matter. We evaluated the dispersal of diatoms in aeolian material and its relation to the regional diatom metacommunity using light microscopy and 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The concentration of diatoms ranged from 0 to 8.76 * 10<sup>6</sup> valves &middot; g<sup>-1</sup> dry aeolian material. Up to 15% of whole cells contained visible protoplasm, indicating that up to 3.43 * 10<sup>4</sup> potentially viable individuals could be dispersed in a year to a single 2 cm<sup>2</sup>&nbsp;site. Diatom DNA and RNA was detected at each site, reinforcing the likelihood that we observed dispersal of viable diatoms. Of the 50 known morphospecies in the MSR, 72% were identified from aeolian material using microscopy. Aeolian community composition varied primarily by site. Meanwhile, each aeolian community was comprised of morphospecies found in aquatic communities from the same lake basin. These results suggest that aeolian diatom dispersal in the MSR is spatially structured, is predominantly local, and connects local aquatic habitats via a shared species pool. Nonetheless, aeolian community structure was distinct from that of aquatic communities, indicating that intrahabitat dispersal and environmental filtering also underlie diatom metacommunity dynamics. The present study confirms that a large number of diatoms are passively dispersed by wind across a landscape characterized by aeolian processes, integrating the regional flora and contributing to metacommunity structure and landscape connectivity.</p>10a18S rRNA10aairborne10aalgae10aassembly10aBacillariophyta10abiogeography10aconnectivity10ahigh-throughput sequencing1 aSchulte, Nicholas, O.1 aKhan, Alia, L.1 aSmith, Emma, W.1 aZoumplis, Angela1 aKaul, Drishti1 aAllen, Andrew, E.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpy.1322300974nas a2200217   4500008004100000245004900041210004200090260001200132490000700144520034200151653001500493653001700508653001300525653002500538653001000563653001400573100001300587700002100600700002200621856011300643       2022                        eng d00aA draft mitogenome of <i>Plectus murrayi</i>0 adraft mitogenome of iPlectus murrayii  c02/20220 v543 a<p><i>Plectus murrayi</i> is a free-living microbivorous nematode endemic to Antarctic soils. Our draft assembly of its mitogenome was 15,656 bp long, containing 12 protein-coding, eight transfer RNA (tRNA), and two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Mitophylogenomic analyses extend our understanding of mitochondrial evolution in Nematoda</p>10aAntarctica10agenome decay10agenomics10amitochondrial genome10aMitoZ10aphylogeny1 aXue, Xia1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aDilman, Adler, R.  uhttps://www.sciendo.com/article/10.2478/jofnem-2022-0035https://www.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/jofnem-2022-003502399nas a2200217   4500008004100000245008500041210006900126260005400195490000700249520171000256653001501966653001701981653002401998653001402022653002402036653001002060653002402070100002502094700002102119856004102140       2022                        eng d00aEffect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarctic soil nematode0 aEffect of climate history on the genetic structure of an Antarct  aProvo, UT, USAbBrigham Young Universityc12/20220 vMS3 a<p>Historical climate disturbances such as glacial cycling and fluctuating stream, lake, and sea levels strongly influence the distribution and evolutionary trajectories of Antarctic terrestrial species. Antarctic invertebrates, with limited long-range mobility, including the ubiquitous sentinel nematode species <i>Scottnema lindsayae</i>, are especially sensitive to climate disturbances. We tested hypotheses associated with the historical geographic and population genetic structure of this species as it occurs across the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of Antarctica. In order to reconstruct the influence of climate disturbance and ecological conditions on this species, partial mitochondrial COI gene sequences were sequenced and analyzed from individual <i>S. lindsayae</i> collected from sites across the MDVs reflecting a opposing gradients of climate disturbance during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We found that populations were strongly geomorphic barriers with distinct haplotypes associated with valleys except among valleys that experienced glacial advance and retreat during the LGM. One monophyletic clade corresponds with valley systems that were undisturbed during the LGM indicating putative refugia areas. A second monophyletic clade corresponds to recent dispersal and expansion of evolutionarily younger populations into valleys that were strongly reworked by glacial activity during the LGM. Our work shows that contemporary populations of these animals are strongly structured by prior climate history. Such findings can be useful for interpreting long-term monitoring of demographic shifts of soil organisms in response to changing climate trends in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.</p>10aAntarctica10abiogeography10aclimate disturbance10aevolution10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10apolar10apopulation genetics1 aJackson, Abigail, C.1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttp://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd1262202236nas a2200241   4500008004100000245006500041210006400106260001200170300000900182490000700191520155500198653001501753653002401768653001801792653002601810653001201836653002201848100002501870700001701895700001501912700002101927856004601948       2022                        eng d00aGlacial legacies: Microbial communities of Antarctic refugia0 aGlacial legacies Microbial communities of Antarctic refugia  c10/2022  a14400 v113 a<p>In the cold deserts of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) the suitability of soil for microbial life is determined by both contemporary processes and legacy effects. Climatic changes and accompanying glacial activity have caused local extinctions and lasting geochemical changes to parts of these soil ecosystems over several million years, while areas of refugia may have escaped these disturbances and existed under relatively stable conditions. This study describes the impact of historical glacial and lacustrine disturbance events on microbial communities across the MDV to investigate how this divergent disturbance history influenced the structuring of microbial communities across this otherwise very stable ecosystem. Soil bacterial communities from 17 sites representing either putative refugia or sites disturbed during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (22&ndash;17 kya) were characterized using 16 S metabarcoding. Regardless of geographic distance, several putative refugia sites at elevations above 600 m displayed highly similar microbial communities. At a regional scale, community composition was found to be influenced by elevation and geographic proximity more so than soil geochemical properties. These results suggest that despite the extreme conditions, diverse microbial communities exist in these putative refugia that have presumably remained undisturbed at least through the LGM. We suggest that similarities in microbial communities can be interpreted as evidence for historical climate legacies on an ecosystem-wide scale.</p>10aAntarctica10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10ametabarcoding10amicrobial communities10arefugia10asoil biodiversity1 aJackson, Abigail, C.1 aJorna, Jesse1 aChaston, J1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/10/144002569nas a2200373   4500008004100000245008100041210006900122260004300191520135400234100001701588700001801605700002201623700002101645700002001666700003001686700002101716700002401737700002301761700001801784700002101802700002301823700002201846700002001868700002301888700002401911700001601935700002301951700002401974700002101998700001902019700001802038700002002056856011902076       2022                        eng d00aTen scientific messages on risks and opportunities for life in the Antarctic0 aTen scientific messages on risks and opportunities for life in t  bAntarctic Environments Portalc02/20223 a<p>Initiated by the SCAR scientific research programme &ldquo;Antarctic Thresholds &ndash; Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation&rdquo; (AnT-ERA, 2013-2021), 26 experts synthesized knowledge on impacts and risks of climate-change on biological processes and ecosystem functions in the Antarctic. The ten main scientific messages that emerged addressed (1) accelerating marine and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles, (2) response to ocean acidification, (3) ecological changes in climate change hot spots, (4) unexpected dynamism of marine seafloor communities, (5) biodiversity shifts, (6) low temperature limitation of protein synthesis, (7) life intrinsically linked to changing sea ice conditions, (8) pollution, (9) genetically distinct terrestrial populations under threat, and (10) newly discovered habitats. Two-thirds of the literature included in this synthesis was published between 2010 and 2020 and only one-third was published earlier. The fast mounting, recent decadal evidence indicates various Antarctic biological communities now experience climate stress, or will experience such stress in the coming decades. The responses of organisms, ecosystem functions and services to environmental changes are complex and varied. Key knowledge gaps remain and need addressing to adequately assess future prospects for life in the Antarctic.</p>1 aGutt, Julian1 aIsla, Enrique1 aXavier, José, C.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aAhn, In‐Young1 aCheng, C.‐H., Christina1 aColesie, Claudia1 aCummings, Vonda, J.1 aGriffiths, Huw, J.1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aMcIntyre, Trevor1 aMeiners, Klaus, M.1 aPearce, David, A.1 aPeck, Lloyd, S.1 aPiepenburg, Dieter1 aReisinger, Ryan, R.1 aSaba, Grace1 aSchloss, Irene, R.1 aSignori, Camila, N.1 aSmith, Craig, R.1 aVacchi, Marino1 aVerde, Cinzia1 aWall, Diana, H.  uhttps://environments.aq/publications/ten-scientific-messages-on-risks-and-opportunities-for-life-in-the-antarctic/03115nas a2200517   4500008004100000245008300041210006900124260001200193520161800205653001501823653002101838653002601859653001901885653001301904653001701917653002401934653002301958653001701981653001201998100001702010700001802027700002202045700002102067700002002088700003002108700002102138700002402159700002102183700002302204700001502227700001802242700002102260700002302281700002202304700002002326700002302346700002402369700001602393700002302409700002402432700002102456700001902477700001802496700002002514856006302534       2021                        eng d00aAntarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities0 aAntarctic ecosystems in transition life between stresses and opp  c06/20213 a<p>Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder‐relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed‐dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of &lsquo;scientific understanding&rsquo; revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub‐messages, indicating that process‐oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services.</p>10aadaptation10abenthic dynamism10abiogeochemical cycles10aclimate change10ainvasion10anew habitats10aocean acidification10aPrimary production10arange shifts10asea ice1 aGutt, Julian1 aIsla, Enrique1 aXavier, José, C.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aAhn, In‐Young1 aCheng, C.‐H., Christina1 aColesie, Claudia1 aCummings, Vonda, J.1 adi Prisco, Guido1 aGriffiths, Huw, J.1 aHawes, Ian1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aMcIntyre, Trevor1 aMeiners, Klaus, M.1 aPearce, David, A.1 aPeck, Lloyd, S.1 aPiepenburg, Dieter1 aReisinger, Ryan, R.1 aSaba, Grace1 aSchloss, Irene, R.1 aSignori, Camila, N.1 aSmith, Craig, R.1 aVacchi, Marino1 aVerde, Cinzia1 aWall, Diana, H.  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/brv.1267902506nas a2200289   4500008004100000022001400041245006300055210006300118260001200181490000800193520169900201653001501900653001701915653001301932653001801945653001001963653001001973100002601983700002102009700001802030700001702048700002002065700002002085700002102105700001702126856007302143       2021                        eng d  a2169-895300aExploring the boundaries of microbial habitability in soil0 aExploring the boundaries of microbial habitability in soil  c06/20210 v1263 a<p>Microbes are widely assumed to be capable of colonizing even the most challenging terrestrial surface environments on Earth given enough time. We would not expect to find surface soils uninhabited by microbes as soils typically harbor diverse microbial communities and viable microbes have been detected in soils exposed to even the most inhospitable conditions. However, if uninhabited soils do exist, we might expect to find them in Antarctica. We analyzed 204 ice-free soils collected from across a remote valley in the Transantarctic Mountains (84&ndash;85&deg;S, 174&ndash;177&deg;W) and were able to identify a potential limit of microbial habitability. While most of the soils we tested contained diverse microbial communities, with fungi being particularly ubiquitous, microbes could not be detected in many of the driest, higher elevation soils&mdash;results that were confirmed using cultivation-dependent, cultivation-independent, and metabolic assays. While we cannot confirm that this subset of soils is completely sterile and devoid of microbial life, our results suggest that microbial life is severely restricted in the coldest, driest, and saltiest Antarctic soils. Constant exposure to these conditions for thousands of years has limited microbial communities so that their presence and activity is below detectable limits using a variety of standard methods. Such soils are unlikely to be unique to the studied region with this work supporting previous hypotheses that microbial habitability is constrained by near-continuous exposure to cold, dry, and salty conditions, establishing the environmental conditions that limit microbial life in terrestrial surface soils.</p>10aAntarctica10aastrobiology10abacteria10aextremophiles10afungi10asoils1 aDragone, Nicholas, B.1 aDiaz, Melisa, A.1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aLyons, Berry1 aJackson, Andrew1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aFierer, Noah  uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020JG00605202615nas a2200229   4500008004100000245011400041210006900155260001200224300001600236490000700252520188900259100002102148700002902169700002102198700002002219700002102239700002002260700001802280700001702298700001702315856005302332       2021                        eng d00aGeochemical zones and environmental gradients for soils from the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica0 aGeochemical zones and environmental gradients for soils from the  c03/2021  a1629 - 16440 v183 a<p>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&deg;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 &micro;g g<sup>-1</sup>, 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 <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> values for total water-soluble salts, water-soluble N:P, ClO<sub>4</sub><sup>-</sup>, and ClO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> 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.</p>1 aDiaz, Melisa, A.1 aGardner, Christopher, B.1 aWelch, Susan, A.1 aJackson, Andrew1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aFierer, Noah1 aLyons, Berry  uhttps://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/1629/2021/02380nas a2200253   4500008004100000245012200041210006900163260001200232300000900244490000600253520157500259653001501834653002701849653002401876653001901900653001601919653001901935653002701954100002501981700002902006700002602035700002102061856004402082       2021                        eng d00aPhagotrophic protists and their associates: Evidence for preferential grazing in an abiotically driven soil ecosystem0 aPhagotrophic protists and their associates Evidence for preferen  c08/2021  a15550 v93 a<p>The complex relationship between ecosystem function and soil food web structure is governed by species interactions, many of which remain unmapped. Phagotrophic protists structure soil food webs by grazing the microbiome, yet their involvement in intraguild competition, susceptibility to predator diversity, and grazing preferences are only vaguely known. These species-dependent interactions are contextualized by adjacent biotic and abiotic processes, and thus obfuscated by typically high soil biodiversity. Such questions may be investigated in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica because the physical environment strongly filters biodiversity and simplifies the influence of abiotic factors. To detect the potential interactions in the MDV, we analyzed the co-occurrence among shotgun metagenome sequences for associations suggestive of intraguild competition, predation, and preferential grazing. In order to control for confounding abiotic drivers, we tested co-occurrence patterns against various climatic and edaphic factors. Non-random co-occurrence between phagotrophic protists and other soil fauna was biotically driven, but we found no support for competition or predation. However, protists predominately associated with Proteobacteria and avoided Actinobacteria, suggesting grazing preferences were modulated by bacterial cell-wall structure and growth rate. Our study provides a critical starting-point for mapping protist interactions in native soils and highlights key trends for future targeted molecular and culture-based approaches.</p>10aAntarctica10aco-occurrence networks10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10aRhogostoma sp.10aSandona sp.10asoil food webs10avariation partitioning1 aThompson, Andrew, R.1 aRoth-Monzón, Andrea, J.1 aAanderud, Zachary, T.1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/8/155503820nas a2200217   4500008004100000245015200041210006900193260004000262490000800302520300700310653003203317653003303349653001703382653002403399653002103423653002503444653003903469100002503508700002103533856004803554       2019                        eng d00aHeterotrophic protists as useful models for studying microbial food webs in a model soil ecosystem and the universality of complex unicellular life0 aHeterotrophic protists as useful models for studying microbial f  aProvo, UTbBrigham Young University0 vPhD3 a<p>Heterotrophic protists, consisting largely of the Cercozoa, Amoebozoa, Ciliophora, Discoba and some Stramenopiles, are a poorly characterized component of life on Earth. They play an important ecological role in soil communities and provide key insights into the nature of one of life&rsquo;s most enigmatic evolutionary transitions: the development of the complex unicell. Soil ecosystems are crucial to the functioning of global biogeochemical cycles (e.g. carbon and nitrogen) but are at risk of drastic change from anthropogenic climate change. Heterotrophic protists are the primary regulators of bacterial diversity in soils and as such play integral roles in biogeochemical cycling, nutrient mobilization, and trophic cascades in food webs under stress. Understanding the nature of these changes requires examining the rates, diversity, and resiliency of interactions that occur between soil organisms. However, soils are the most taxonomically diverse ecosystems on Earth and disentangling the complexities of dynamic and varied biotic interactions in them requires a unique model system. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, one of the harshest terrestrial environments on Earth, serve as a model soil ecosystem owing to their highly reduced biological diversity. Exploring the functioning of heterotrophic protists in these valleys provides a way to test the applicability of this model system to other soil food webs. However, very little is known about their taxonomic diversity, which is a strong predictor of function. Therefore, I reviewed the Antarctic literature to compile a checklist of all known terrestrial heterotrophic protists in Antarctica. I found significant geographical, methodological, and taxonomic biases and outlined how to address these in future research programs. I also conducted a molecular survey of whole soil communities using 18 shotgun metagenomes representing major landscape features of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The results revealed the dominance of Cercozoa and point to an Antarctic heterotrophic protist soil community that is taxonomically diverse and reflects the structure and composition of communities at lower latitudes. To investigate whether biotic interactions or abiotic factors were a larger driver for Antarctic heterotrophic protists, I conducted variation partitioning using environmental data (e.g. moisture, pH and electrical conductivity). Biotic variables were more significant and accounted for more of the variation than environmental variables. Taken together, it is clear that heterotrophic protists play key ecological roles in this ecosystem. Deeper insights into the ecology of these organisms in the McMurdo Dry Valleys also have implications for the search for complex unicellular life in our universe. I discuss the theoretical underpinnings of searching for these forms of life outside of Earth, conclude that they are likely to occur, and postulate how future missions could practically search for complex unicells.</p>10aheterotrophic soil protists10akey evolutionary innovations10alife on Mars10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10anetwork analysis10ashotgun metagenomics10auniversal complex unicellular life1 aThompson, Andrew, R.1 aAdams, Byron, J.  uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/2310631977