01961nas a2200217 4500008004100000245010100041210006900142260001200211300001200223490000700235520124400242653003001486653001101516653002401527653001501551653002101566100002001587700002101607700002201628856009301650 2022 eng d00aValley-floor snowfall in Taylor Valley, Antarctica, from 1995 to 2017: Spring, summer and autumn0 aValleyfloor snowfall in Taylor Valley Antarctica from 1995 to 20 c08/2022 a325-3350 v343 a

We present an analysis of the 20 year snowfall dataset in Taylor Valley and the results of a new snow cover monitoring study. Snowfall has been measured at four sites in Taylor Valley from 1995 to 2017. We focus on valley-floor snowfall when wind does not exceed 5 m s-1, and we exclude winter from our analysis due to poor data quality. Snowfall averaged 11 mm water equivalent (w.e.) from 1995 to 2017 across all stations and ranged from 1 to 58 mm w.e. Standard deviations ranged from 3 to 17 mm w.e., highlighting the strong interannual variability of snowfall in Taylor Valley. During spring and autumn there is a spatial gradient in snowfall such that the coast received twice as much snowfall as more central and inland stations. We identified a changepoint in 2007 from increasing snowfall (3 mm w.e. yr-1) to decreasing snowfall (1 mm w.e. yr-1), which coincides with a shift from decreasing temperature to no detectable temperature trend. Daily camera imagery from 2007 to 2017 augments the snowfall measurements. The camera imagery revealed a near tripling of the average number of days with snow cover from 37 days between 2006 and 2012 to 106 days with snow cover between 2012 and 2017.

10aautomated weather station10acamera10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10asnow cover10asnow persistence1 aMyers, Madeline1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aMyers, Krista, F. uhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0954102022000256/type/journal_article02357nas a2200205 4500008004100000245012200041210006900163260001200232490000700244520163100251100002501882700002701907700001801934700002501952700002501977700002902002700002502031700002302056856007202079 2020 eng d00aVertical stratification and stability of biogeochemical processes in the deep saline waters of Lake Vanda, Antarctica0 aVertical stratification and stability of biogeochemical processe c03/20200 v653 a

Lake Vanda is a permanently ice-covered lake in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Its bottom waters remain stratified year-round because of a strong salinity-driven density gradient. We have assessed spatial patterns in and relationships between major biogeochemical processes in the water column of Lake Vanda. Samples were collected in the austral summers of 2008 and 2011 to measure concentrations of metabolites associated with a suite of biogeochemical processes across the deep salinity gradient. The shapes of the resulting geochemical profiles were consistent between 2008 and 2011. Metabolite production and consumption rates were estimated using a reactive transport model based on the assumption that vertical diffusion was the only activephysical transport process. We validated this model for nitrification by using stable isotope incubations to show that this process was only active at depths predicted by the model. No nitrification activity was observed at 68 m depth in spite of overlapping oxygen and ammonium gradients. We attribute this lack of activity to the competitive inhibition of ammonia monooxygenase by methane. Net nitrous oxide and nitrate consumption were observed in the oxic water column, providing evidence of aerobic denitrification. The depth of maximum net oxygen production did not coincide with the deep chlorophyll maxima (at 59.3, 63, and 68.2 m) measured in the same profile. Finally, the integrated sulfide oxidation rate was high compared with other oxidation processes, indicating that sulfide was an important electron donor for the water column microbial community.

1 aSchutte, Charles, A.1 aSamarkin, Vladimir, A.1 aPeters, Brian1 aMadigan, Michael, T.1 aBowles, Marshall, W.1 aMorgan-Kiss, Rachael, M.1 aCasciotti, Karen, L.1 aJoye, Samantha, B. uhttps://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lno.1132701928nas a2200169 4500008004100000245010300041210006900144260001200213300001400225490000700239520131500246100001901561700002001580700002101600700002701621856011001648 2010 eng d00aViable microbes in ice: application of molecular assays to McMurdo Dry Valley lake ice communities0 aViable microbes in ice application of molecular assays to McMurd c10/2010 a470 - 4760 v223 a

The permanent ice covers of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, Antarctica, are colonized by a diverse microbial assemblage. We collected ice cores from Lakes Fryxell, Hoare and Bonney. Propidium monoazide (PMA) was used in combination with quantitative PCR (qPCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to examine membrane integrity of prokaryotes in these extreme environments. PMA selectively penetrates cells with compromised membranes and modifies their DNA resulting in the suppression of PCR amplification. Our results based on analysis of 16S rRNA genes demonstrate that despite the hostile conditions of the Dry Valleys, the permanent ice covers of the lakes support a ‘potentially viable’ microbial community. The level of membrane integrity, as well as diversity, was higher in samples where sediment was entrapped in the ice cover. Pronounced differences in the fraction of cells with intact and compromised cell membranes were found for Lake Fryxell and east lobe of Lake Bonney, both expressed in differences in DGGE banding patterns and qPCR signal reductions. Limitations in the ability to distinguish between intact or compromised cells occurred in samples from Lake Hoare and west lobe of Lake Bonney due to low DNA template concentrations recovered from the samples.

1 aDieser, Markus1 aNocker, Andreas1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aForeman, Christine, M. uhttp://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=7909836&fileId=S095410201000040402593nas a2200181 4500008004100000245009500041210006900136300001400205490000700219520193100226100002202157700002302179700002002202700002402222700002202246700002402268856011902292 2004 eng d00aVariation in biogeochemistry and soil biodiversity across spatial scales in a polar desert0 aVariation in biogeochemistry and soil biodiversity across spatia a3105-31180 v853 a
Desert ecosystems are characterized by distinct spatial patterning in soil
biogeochemistry and biodiversity. In the Antarctic Dry Valleys, soil polygons are prominent
features of the landscape and may be key units for scaling local ecological information to
the greater region. We examined polygon soils in each of the three basins of Taylor Valley,
Antarctica. Our objectives were to characterize variability in soil biogeochemistry and
biodiversity at local to regional scales, and to test the influence of soil properties upon
invertebrate communities. We found that soil biogeochemical properties and biodiversity
vary over multiple spatial scales from fine (,10 m) to broad (.10 km) scales. Differences
in biogeochemistry were most pronounced at broad scales among the major lake basins of
Taylor Valley corresponding to differences in geology and microclimate, while variation
in invertebrate biodiversity and abundance occurred at landscape scales of 10–500 m, and
within individual soil polygons. Variation in biogeochemistry and invertebrate communities
across these scales reflects the influence of physical processes and landscape development
over ecosystem structure in the dry valleys. The development of soil polygons influences
the spatial patterning of soil properties such as soil organic matter, salinity, moisture, and
invertebrate habitat suitability. Nematode abundance and life history data indicate that
polygon interiors are more suitable habitats than soils in the troughs at the edges of polygons.
These data suggest that physical processes (i.e., polygon development) and biogeochemistry
are important influences on the spatial variability of biotic communities in dry valley soil
ecosystems.
1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aParsons, Andrew, N.1 aPowers, Laura, E.1 aBurkins, Melody, B. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/variation-biogeochemistry-and-soil-biodiversity-across-spatial-scales-polar-desert00957nas a2200301 4500008004100000020001800041245008800059210006900147260001700216300001200233100001400245700001600259700002900275700001400304700001700318700002600335700001800361700001500379700001500394700002200409700002100431700001700452700001800469700001700487700002000504700002000524856011100544 2004 eng d a1-55963-760-900aVulnerability to global change of ecosystem goods and services driven by soil biota0 aVulnerability to global change of ecosystem goods and services d bIsland Press a101-1361 aWardle, D1 aBrown, V.K.1 aBehan-Pelletier, Valerie1 aJohn, St.1 aWojtowicz, T1 aBardgett, Richard, D.1 aBrown, G., G.1 aIneson, P.1 aLavelle, P1 avan der Putten, W1 aAnderson, J., M.1 aBrussaard, L1 aHunt, William1 aPaul, E., A.1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aWall, Diana, H. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/vulnerability-global-change-ecosystem-goods-and-services-driven-soil-biota03551nas a2200217 4500008004100000245009000041210006900131260001200200300001400212490000800226520282700234653001103061100002103072700002703093700001903120700002003139700002403159700002203183700001703205856011103222 2002 eng d00aValley floor climate observations from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, 1986-20000 aValley floor climate observations from the McMurdo Dry Valleys A c12/2002 a4772-47840 v1073 a

Climate observations from the McMurdo dry valleys, East Antarctica are presented from a network of seven valley floor automatic meteorological stations during the period 1986 to 2000. Mean annual temperatures ranged from −14.8°C to −30.0°C, depending on the site and period of measurement. Mean annual relative humidity is generally highest near the coast. Mean annual wind speed increases with proximity to the polar plateau. Site-to-site variation in mean annual solar flux and PAR is due to exposure of each station and changes over time are likely related to changes in cloudiness. During the nonsummer months, strong katabatic winds are frequent at some sites and infrequent at others, creating large variation in mean annual temperature owing to the warming effect of the winds. Katabatic wind exposure appears to be controlled to a large degree by the presence of colder air in the region that collects at low points and keeps the warm less dense katabatic flow from the ground. The strong influence of katabatic winds makes prediction of relative mean annual temperature based on geographical position (elevation and distance from the coast) alone, not possible. During the summer months, onshore winds dominate and warm as they progress through the valleys creating a strong linear relationship (r2 = 0.992) of increasing potential temperature with distance from the coast (0.09°C km−1). In contrast to mean annual temperature, summer temperature lends itself quite well to model predictions, and is used to construct a statistical model for predicting summer dry valley temperatures at unmonitored sites.

10aBiggie1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aMcKay, Christopher, P.1 aClow, Gary, D.1 aDana, Gayle, L.1 aFountain, Andrew, G1 aNylen, Thomas, H.1 aLyons, Berry uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/valley-floor-climate-observations-mcmurdo-dry-valleys-antarctica-1986-200000397nas a2200145 4500008004100000245003100041210003100072300001400103490000700117653001100124100001700135700002400152700001500176856006000191 1998 eng d00aViruses in antarctic lakes0 aViruses in antarctic lakes a1754-17610 v4310aBiggie1 aKepner, R.L.1 aWharton, Robert, A.1 aSuttle, C. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/viruses-antarctic-lakes00486nas a2200133 4500008004100000245007300041210006900114300000800183490000700191100001700198700002400215700001700239856009600256 1996 eng d00aViruses in antarctic lakes: a first assessment of their distribution0 aViruses in antarctic lakes a first assessment of their distribut a2300 v771 aKepner, R.L.1 aWharton, Robert, A.1 aGalchenko, V uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/viruses-antarctic-lakes-first-assessment-their-distribution