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

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—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 <i>Cryobacterium</i> and <i>Cryomyces</i>. 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.

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-y02505nas a2200325 4500008004100000022001400041245012700055210006900182260001200251300001800263490000800281520146500289653001701754653003701771653002401808653002401832100002701856700002101883700002301904700002201927700002201949700002501971700002001996700002202016700002202038700002202060700002202082700001402104856006102118 2023 eng d a2169-900300aCauses and characteristics of electrical resistivity variability in shallow (<4 m) soils in Taylor Valley, East Antarctica0 aCauses and characteristics of electrical resistivity variability c02/2023 ae2022JF0066960 v1283 a

Airborne electromagnetic surveys collected in December 2011 and November 2018 and three soil sampling transects were used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of shallow (<4 m) soil properties in lower Taylor Valley (TV), East Antarctica. Soil resistivities from 2011 to 2018 ranged from ∼33 Ωm to ∼3,500 Ωm with 200 Ωm assigned as an upper boundary for brine-saturated sediments. Elevations below ∼50 m above sea level (masl) typically exhibit the lowest resistivities with resistivity increasing at high elevations on steeper slopes. Soil water content was empirically estimated from electrical resistivities using Archie's Law and range from ∼<1% to ∼68% by volume. An increase in silt- and clay-sized particles at low elevations increases soil porosity but decreases hydraulic conductivity, promoting greater residence times of soil water at low elevations near Lake Fryxell. Soil resistivity variability between 2011 and 2018 shows soils at different stages of soil freeze-thaw cycles, which are caused predominantly by solar warming of soils as opposed to air temperature. This study furthers the understanding of the hydrogeologic structure of the shallow subsurface in TV and identifies locations of soils that are potentially prone to greater rates of thaw and resulting ecosystem homogenization of soil properties from projected increases in hydrological connectivity across the region over the coming decades.

10aactive layer10aairborne electromagnetic surveys10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10apermafrost dynamics1 aGutterman, William, S.1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aMyers, Krista, F.1 aTulaczyk, Slawek, M.1 aFoley, Neil, T.1 aMikucki, Jill, A.1 aDugan, Hilary, A.1 aGrombacher, Denys1 aBording, Thue, S.1 aAuken, E. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022JF00669604166nas a2200565 4500008004100000022001400041245007900055210006900134260001200203300001100215490000700226520245300233653001802686653002702704653001902731653001902750653001202769653001202781653001502793653008902808653002002897100002302917700002502940700002602965700002702991700002103018700002503039700001703064700002203081700002903103700002603132700002403158700002603182700002403208700002103232700001603253700002703269700002403296700002303320700002203343700002403365700002303389700001503412700002203427700002103449700002203470700002603492700002403518856005803542 2021 eng d a2150-892500aConnectivity: Insights from the U.S. Long Term Ecological Research Network0 aConnectivity Insights from the US Long Term Ecological Research  c05/2021 ae034320 v123 a

Ecosystems across the United States are changing in complex and surprising ways. Ongoing demand for critical ecosystem services requires an understanding of the populations and communities in these ecosystems in the future. This paper represents a synthesis effort of the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network addressing the core research area of “populations and communities.” The objective of this effort was to show the importance of long-term data collection and experiments for addressing the hardest questions in scientific ecology that have significant implications for environmental policy and management. Each LTER site developed at least one compelling case study about what their site could look like in 50–100 yr as human and environmental drivers influencing specific ecosystems change. As the case studies were prepared, five themes emerged, and the studies were grouped into papers in this LTER Futures Special Feature addressing state change, connectivity, resilience, time lags, and cascading effects. This paper addresses the “connectivity” theme and has examples from the Phoenix (urban), Niwot Ridge (alpine tundra), McMurdo Dry Valleys (polar desert), Plum Island (coastal), Santa Barbara Coastal (coastal), and Jornada (arid grassland and shrubland) sites. Connectivity has multiple dimensions, ranging from multi-scalar interactions in space to complex interactions over time that govern the transport of materials and the distribution and movement of organisms. The case studies presented here range widely, showing how land-use legacies interact with climate to alter the structure and function of arid ecosystems and flows of resources and organisms in Antarctic polar desert, alpine, urban, and coastal marine ecosystems. Long-term ecological research demonstrates that connectivity can, in some circumstances, sustain valuable ecosystem functions, such as the persistence of foundation species and their associated biodiversity or, it can be an agent of state change, as when it increases wind and water erosion. Increased connectivity due to warming can also lead to species range expansions or contractions and the introduction of undesirable species. Continued long-term studies are essential for addressing the complexities of connectivity. The diversity of ecosystems within the LTER network is a strong platform for these studies.

10aalpine tundra10aAntarctic polar desert10aarid grassland10aarid shrubland10acoastal10aestuary10asalt marsh10aSpecial Feature: Forecasting Earth’s Ecosystems with Long-Term Ecological Research10aurban ecosystem1 aIwaniec, David, M.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aSuding, Katharine, N.1 aJohnson, David, Samuel1 aReed, Daniel, C.1 aPeters, Debra, P. C.1 aAdams, Byron1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aBestelmeyer, Brandon, T.1 aCastorani, Max, C. N.1 aCook, Elizabeth, M.1 aDavidson, Melissa, J.1 aGroffman, Peter, M.1 aHanan, Niall, P.1 aHuenneke, L1 aJohnson, Pieter, T. J.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aMiller, Robert, J.1 aOkin, Gregory, S.1 aPreston, Daniel, L.1 aRassweiler, Andrew1 aRay, Chris1 aSala, Osvaldo, E.1 aSchooley, Robert1 aSeastedt, Timothy1 aSpasojevic, Marko, J.1 aVivoni, Enrique, R. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.343202111nas a2200205 4500008004100000245010700041210006900148260001200217300001600229490000700245520142400252100002401676700002201700700002501722700002101747700002101768700002001789700002501809856007101834 2021 eng d00aCounting carbon: Quantifying biomass in the McMurdo Dry Valleys through orbital and field observations0 aCounting carbon Quantifying biomass in the McMurdo Dry Valleys t c10/2021 a8597 - 86230 v423 a

We use correlative field studies and high-resolution multispectral remote sensing data from the WorldView-2 instrument to estimate the abundance of photosynthetically active biomass (photoautotrophs consisting primarily of microbial mats and mosses) in Canada Stream in Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica. In situ field investigations were performed to (1) acquire ground validation targets for atmospherically correcting satellite imagery, (2) derive spectra of “pure” geologic and biological endmembers, (3) estimate photoautotroph cover from remote sensing data, and (4) convert these coverage estimates to biomass using data collected in the field. Our results suggest that, on the morning of 12 December 2018, the Canada Stream system contained more than 3,800 kg of photosynthetically active carbon. Extrapolating our unmixing results to the entirety of the Fryxell basin of Taylor Valley, Antarctica, we model the presence of more than 750,000 kg of photosynthetically active carbon across the landscape and carbon fixation rates roughly equivalent to five hectares of tropical rainforest. The ability to spatially and temporally quantify the amount of photosynthetically active biomass using remote sensing data in the MDV of Antarctica is a revolutionary development that will help elucidate the ecological drivers and environmental responses in this cold desert landscape.

1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aBorges, Schuyler, R.1 aPower, Sarah, N.1 aStanish, Lee, F.1 aSokol, Eric, R.1 aGooseff, Michael, N. uhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01431161.2021.198155901794nas a2200181 4500008004100000245015800041210006900199260001200268300001400280490000600294520113500300100002201435700002101457700001601478700002201494700002401516856007201540 2018 eng d00aCatch and release: Hyporheic retention and mineralization of N-fixing Nostoc sustains downstream microbial mat biomass in two polar desert streams0 aCatch and release Hyporheic retention and mineralization of Nfix c07/2018 a357 - 3640 v33 a

 

Much work has been performed to investigate controls on nitrogen (N) uptake in streams, yet the fate of assimilated N is comparatively poorly resolved. Here, we use in-stream fixed N as an isotopic tracer to study the fate of assimilated N in glacial meltwater streams. We characterized d15N signatures of Oscillatorean, Chlorophyte, and N-fixing Nostoc mats over the lengths of two streams, and transported particulate organic matter (POM) in one. POM was isotopically most similar to Nostoc, which always had values near the atmospheric standard, suggesting N-fixation. Other mat types were depleted upstream, and became progressively enriched downstream, indicating a shift in N source. These results collectively show that Nostoc-derived N is mobilized, mineralized, and increasingly assimilated downstream as more depleted glacier-derived N is exhausted, demonstrating the importance of organic matter processing to balancing elemental budgets, and improving our understanding of nutrient cycling in lotic environments.

 

1 aKohler, Tyler, J.1 aStanish, Lee, F.1 aLiptzin, D.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttps://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lol2.1008702223nas a2200205 4500008004100000245012900041210006900170260001200239300001200251490000700263520146400270100001701734700002401751700002401775700002501799700002201824700003301846700001501879856012301894 2014 eng d00aCharacterization of Growing Bacterial Populations in McMurdo Dry Valley Soils through Stable Isotope Probing with 18O-water.0 aCharacterization of Growing Bacterial Populations in McMurdo Dry c08/2014 a415-4250 v893 aSoil microbial communities of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (MDV) contain representatives from at least fourteen bacterial phyla. However, given low rates of microbial activity, it is unclear whether this richness represents functioning rather than dormant members of the community. We used stable isotope probing (SIP) with (18) O-water to determine if microbial populations grow in MDV soils. Changes in the microbial community were characterized in soils amended with H2 (18) O and H2 (18) O-organic matter. Sequencing the 16S rRNA genes of the heavy and light fractions of the bacterial community DNA shows that DNA of microbial populations was labeled with (18) O-water, indicating these micro-organisms grew in the MDV soils. Significant differences existed in the community composition of the heavy and light fractions of the H2 (18) O and H2 (18) O-organic matter amended samples (Anosim P < 0.05 of weighted Unifrac distance). Control samples and the light DNA fraction of the H2 (18) O amended samples were dominated by representatives of the phyla Deinococcus-Thermus, Proteobacteria, Planctomyces, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria, whereas Proteobacteria were more prevalent in the heavy DNA fractions from the H2 (18) O-water and the H2 (18) O-water-organic matter treatments. Our results indicate that SIP with H2 (18) O can be used to distinguish active bacterial populations even in this low organic matter environment.1 aSchwartz, E.1 aVan Horn, David, J.1 aBuelow, Heather, N.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aOkie, J.G. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/characterization-growing-bacterial-populations-mcmurdo-dry-valley-soils-through-stable00701nas a2200193 4500008004100000245009100041210006900132300001200201490000600213100002500219700002200244700002700266700001500293700002200308700002200330700001200352700003300364856011000397 2007 eng d00aControls on the spatial dimensions of wetted hydrologic margins of two antarctic lakes0 aControls on the spatial dimensions of wetted hydrologic margins  a841-8480 v61 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aNorthcott, Melissa, L.1 aBate, Brad1 aHill, Kenneth, R.1 aZeglin, Lydia, H.1 aBobb, M1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/controls-spatial-dimensions-wetted-hydrologic-margins-two-antarctic-lakes00757nas a2200181 4500008004100000245010900041210006900150300001200219490000700231100002200238700002300260700002000283700001900303700001700322700001400339700001600353856020600369 2006 eng d00aCo-variation in soil biodiversity and biogeochemistry in Northern and Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica0 aCovariation in soil biodiversity and biogeochemistry in Northern a535-5480 v181 aBarrett, John, E.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aCary, Craig, S1 aAdams, Byron1 aHacker, A1 aAislabie, J uhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/covariation-in-soil-biodiversity-and-biogeochemistry-in-northern-and-southern-victoria-land-antarctica/C3514C28DB75F3A19DB5F266D4B1B56E