Microbial biomass and biological activity of soils and soil-like bodies in coastal oases of Antarctica
- Authors: Nikitin D.A.1, Marfenina O.E.1, Kudinova A.G.1, Lysak L.V.1, Mergelov N.S.2, Dolgikh A.V.2, Lupachev A.V.3
-
Affiliations:
- Lomonosov Moscow State University
- Institute of Geography
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science
- Issue: Vol 50, No 9 (2017)
- Pages: 1086-1097
- Section: Soil Biology
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/1064-2293/article/view/224166
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229317070079
- ID: 224166
Cite item
Abstract
The method of luminescent microscopy has been applied to study the structure of the microbial biomass of soils and soil-like bodies in East (the Thala Hills and Larsemann Hills oases) and West (Cape Burks, Hobbs coast) Antarctica. According to Soil Taxonomy, the studied soils mainly belong to the subgroups of Aquic Haploturbels, Typic Haploturbels, Typic Haplorthels, and Lithic Haplorthels. The major contribution to their microbial biomass belongs to fungi. The highest fungal biomass (up to 790 μg C/g soil) has been found in the soils with surface organic horizons in the form of thin moss/lichen litters, in which the development of fungal mycelium is most active. A larger part of fungal biomass (70–98%) is represented by spores. For the soils without vegetation cover, the accumulation of bacterial and fungal biomass takes place in the horizons under surface desert pavements. In the upper parts of the soils without vegetation cover and in the organic soil horizons, the major part (>60%) of fungal mycelium contains protective melanin pigments. Among bacteria, the high portion (up to 50%) of small filtering forms is observed. A considerable increase (up to 290.2 ± 27 μg C/g soil) in the fungal biomass owing to the development of yeasts has been shown for gley soils (gleyzems) developing from sapropel sediments under subaquatic conditions and for the algal–bacterial mat on the bottom of the lake (920.7 ± 46 μg C/g soil). The production of carbon dioxide by the soils varies from 0.47 to 2.34 μg C–CO2/(g day). The intensity of nitrogen fixation in the studied samples is generally low: from 0.08 to 55.85 ng С2Н4/(g day). The intensity of denitrification varies from 0.09 to 19.28 μg N–N2O/(g day).
About the authors
D. A. Nikitin
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Author for correspondence.
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119991
O. E. Marfenina
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119991
A. G. Kudinova
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119991
L. V. Lysak
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119991
N. S. Mergelov
Institute of Geography
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, per. Staromonetnyi 29, Moscow, 119017
A. V. Dolgikh
Institute of Geography
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, per. Staromonetnyi 29, Moscow, 119017
A. V. Lupachev
Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science
Email: dimnik90@mail.ru
Russian Federation, ul. Institutskaya 2, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, 142290