A dataset of Antarctic ecosystems in ice-free lands: classification, descriptions, and maps

Scientific Data, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Jan. 22, 2025

Abstract Antarctica, Earth’s least understood and most remote continent, is threatened by human disturbances climate-related changes, underscoring the imperative for biodiversity inventories to inform conservation. Antarctic ecosystems support unique species genetic diversity, deliver essential ecosystem services contribute planetary stability. We present Antarctica’s first comprehensive classification map of ice-free lands, which host continent’s biodiversity. used latent variables in factor analyses partition continental-scale abiotic variation, then biotic variation represented spatial models, finally recognised regional-scale among biogeographic units. This produced a spatially explicit hierarchical with nine Major Environment Units (Tier 1), 33 Habitat Complexes 2) 269 Bioregional Ecosystem Types 3) mapped at 100 m resolution aligned ‘level 4’ IUCN Global Typology. inventory provides foundational data protected area designation under Treaty’s Environmental Protocol track risks ecosystems. Its tiered structure workflow accommodate scarcity facilitate updates, promoting robustness as knowledge builds.

Language: Английский

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Advocating microbial diversity conservation in Antarctica

npj Biodiversity, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 4(1)

Published: March 4, 2025

Antarctica, a seemingly barren and icy wilderness, is home to diverse array of microbial life that plays critical role in sustaining its ecosystems. These resilient microorganisms drive nutrient cycling carbon sequestration, but their function global processes remains unclear. This pristine environment faces mounting threats from human activities, climate change, increasing tourism. Contaminants, non-native species, microplastics are increasingly reaching even the most remote regions, disrupting delicate communities existing for millions years. Antarctic not only ecologically significant also valuable biotechnological advancements, making conservation imperative. Climate change exacerbates these threats, altering habitats promoting shifts community structure. Tourism growth, though beneficial education economic reasons, poses challenges through biological chemical contamination. Despite efforts under Treaty System protect region, there need enhanced measures specifically targeting conservation. article underscores importance conserving diversity. It highlights intricate ecosystems urgency implementing strategies such as stringent biosecurity measures, sustainable tourism practices, comprehensive monitoring programs. Additionally, fostering international collaboration research initiatives vital understanding designing mitigate impacts environmental changes on life. By prioritizing policy frameworks strengthening cooperation, we can safeguard unique ensure resilience future generations.

Language: Английский

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TerrANTALife 1.0 Biodiversity data checklist of known Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater life forms

Biodiversity Data Journal, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

Incomplete species inventories for Antarctica represent a key challenge comprehensive ecological research and conservation in the region. Additionally, data required to understand population dynamics, rates of evolution, spatial ranges, functional traits, physiological tolerances interactions, all which are fundamental disentangle different elements Antarctic biodiversity, mostly missing. However, much fauna, flora microbiota emerged ice-free land continent have an uncertain presence and/or unresolved status, with entire biodiversity compendia prokaryotic groups (e.g. bacteria) being All available information requires consolidation, cross-validation, re-assessment steady systematic inclusion order create robust catalogue continent. We compiled, completed revised eukaryotic present terrestrial freshwater ecosystems new living database: terrANTALife (version 1.0). The database includes first integration compendium many microorganisms. also introduce amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) biodiversity. Available literature date were searched species, integrated, taxonomically harmonised curated by experts checklists organisms. final comprises 470 animal (including vertebrates, free-living invertebrates parasites), 306 plants Viridiplantae: embryophytes green algae), 997 fungal 434 protists (sensu lato). provide account microorganisms, including non-lichenised fungi multiple unicellular (Stramenophila, Alveolata Rhizaria (SAR), Chromists Amoeba), jointly referred as "protists". In addition, we identify 1753 bacterial (obtained from 348117 ASVs) 34 archaeal genera (from 1848 ASVs), well as, at least, 14 virus families. formulate basic tree life main lineages listed region their “known-accepted-species” numbers.

Language: Английский

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Novel adaptive immune systems in pristine Antarctic soils

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: Jan. 18, 2025

Language: Английский

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Advances and shortfalls in knowledge of Antarctic terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity

Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 387(6734), P. 609 - 615

Published: Feb. 6, 2025

Antarctica harbors many distinctive features of life, yet much about the diversity and functioning Antarctica’s life remains unknown. Evolutionary histories functional ecology are well understood only for vertebrates, whereas research on invertebrates is largely limited to species descriptions some studies environmental tolerances. Knowledge Antarctic vegetation cover showcases challenges characterizing population trends most groups. Recent community-level microbial have provided insights into at its limits. Overall, biotic interactions remain unknown across all groups, restricted basic information trophic level placement. Insufficient knowledge groups limits understanding ecological processes continent. Remedies current situation rely identifying caveats each discipline finding targeted solutions. Such precise delimitation gaps will enable a more aware, representative, strategic systematic conservation planning Antarctica.

Language: Английский

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A comprehensive survey of soil microbial diversity across the Antarctic continent

Polar Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 48(2)

Published: Feb. 20, 2025

Abstract 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 continent. For these reasons, microbiologists have been drawn Antarctica for decades. However, our understanding which microbes thrive in and how they do so remains limited. To help resolve knowledge gaps, we analyzed collection 200 archived soils—from Livingston Island Peninsula Cape Hallett northern Victoria Land. We prokaryotic fungal communities using both cultivation-independent marker gene sequencing cultivation-dependent approaches (microbial isolation), paired with extensive soil geochemical analyses. Our analyses indicate that colder, saltier, drier less diverse bacteria fungi, distinct conditions. also built culture subset encompasses more than 50 bacterial genera, including cold-tolerant organisms, such as Cryobacterium Cryomyces . By directly comparing cultured isolates against data, show many abundant taxa not readily cultivated highlight should be focus future cultivation efforts. Together, hope isolates, comprehensive data compiled analyses, will serve community resource accelerate study microbes.

Language: Английский

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Antarctic bacterial natural products: from genomic insights to drug discovery

Natural Product Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

The article highlights the available data on Antarctic bacteria, their biosynthetic potential, and successful NP discoveries while addressing challenges in research advocating for systematic, collaborative Antarctica.

Language: Английский

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Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Associated with Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Communities in Ice-Free Areas on King George Island, Maritime Antarctica

DNA, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 5(1), P. 15 - 15

Published: March 10, 2025

Background and Methods: We assessed the prokaryotic eukaryotic diversity present in non-vegetated vegetated soils on King George Island, Maritime Antarctic, combination with measurements of carbon dioxide fluxes. Results: For prokaryotes, 381 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were assigned, dominated by phyla Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, Pseudomonadota, Chloroflexota, Verrucomicrobiota. A total 432 ASVs including representatives from seven kingdoms 21 phyla. Fungi communities, followed Viridiplantae. Non-vegetated had higher indices compared soils. The dominant ASV was Pyrinomonadaceae sp., while Pseudarthrobacter sp. Mortierella antarctica (Fungi) Meyerella (Viridiplantae) taxa soils, Lachnum Polytrichaceae Measured CO2 fluxes indicated that net ecosystem exchange values measured lower than respiration However, flux region displayed positive values, suggesting may represent a source atmosphere. Conclusions: Our study revealed presence rich complex communities organisms both soil types. Although demonstrated highest levels diversity, they likely reflecting significant biomass photosynthetically active plants (mainly dense moss carpets) their resident organisms. greater detected exposed influence future changes studied region, for which comparisons different microbial diversities are needed. This reinforces necessity studies to monitor impact biota areas Antarctica, strongly impacted climatic changes.

Language: Английский

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Metataxonomics Characterization of Soil Microbiome Extraction Method Using Different Dispersant Solutions

Microorganisms, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 13(4), P. 936 - 936

Published: April 18, 2025

Soil health is essential for maintaining ecosystem balance, food security, and human well-being. Anthropogenic activities, such as climate change excessive agrochemical use, have led to the degradation of soil ecosystems worldwide. Microbiome transplantation has emerged a promising approach restoring perturbed soils; however, direct transfer presents practical limitations large-scale applications. An alternative strategy involves extracting microbial communities through washing processes, but its success highly depends on proper microbiota characterization efficient extraction methods. This study evaluated wash method using four different dispersant solutions (Tween-80, NaCl, sodium citrate, pyrophosphate) their ability extract majority cells from Antarctic Crop soils. The extracted microbiomes were analyzed 16S rRNA gene metataxonomics assess diversity abundance. We found that some treatments greater proportion specific taxa, and, other hand, lower than control treatment. In addition, these showed relevant community profile in samples, composed multiple including beneficial bacteria health. Our aims optimize DNA methods microbiome analyses explore use this technique various biotechnological results provide insights into effect extractions. regard, chloride could be optimal soils, while citrate suggested

Language: Английский

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Antarctic Soil and Viable Microbiota After Long-Term Storage at Constant −20 °C

Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 14(3), P. 222 - 222

Published: Feb. 20, 2025

During an Antarctic expedition that took place in December 2010–January 2011 the East coastal region, soil samples were collected aseptic conditions and stored for over a decade freezers at −20 °C. Due to shortly afterward passing of researcher charge, Teodor Negoiță, remained unintentionally frozen long period made available research 13 years later. A chemical analysis as well screening viable microbial presence was performed; conducted via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) Fourier-transform infrared with attenuated total reflection (FTIR-ATR). The aerobic facultative microbiotas evaluated through Biolog Ecoplates assay, isolated strains 16S sequenced final taxonomic identification. results obtained new insights into characteristics from both microbiological aspects, even after conservation.

Language: Английский

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