Distribution and abiotic influences on hypolithic microbial communities in an Antarctic Dry Valley

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dc.contributor.authorCowan, Don A.
dc.contributor.authorPointing, Stephen B.
dc.contributor.authorStevens, Mark I.
dc.contributor.authorCary, S. Craig
dc.contributor.authorStomeo, Francesca
dc.contributor.authorTuffin, Marla I.
dc.date.accessioned2010-08-26T03:47:26Z
dc.date.available2010-08-26T03:47:26Z
dc.date.issued2010
dc.description.abstractThe Miers Valley within the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica supports abundant quartz and marble substrates for hypolithons—microbial colonists on the underside of these translucent rocks. Three physically distinct hypolithic community types have been identified: cyanobacteria dominated (Type I), fungus dominated (Type II) or moss dominated (Type III). The distribution of the three types was mapped across much of the ~75 km2 area of the upper Miers Valley and correlated this with the measurements of selected micro-environmental variables. Type I hypolithons were most common and occurred at all altitudes up to 824 m, whilst Type II and Type III hypolithons were less abundant and restricted to lower altitudes on the valley floor (<415 m and <257 m, respectively). Whilst all colonized quartz effectively filtered incident UVB irradiance, transmittance levels for UVA and PAR varied markedly and were significant in determining hypolith type. Notably, the Type I hypolithons occurred under rocks with a significantly lower transmittance of photosynthetically active radiation than Type II and III hypolithons. Altitude and aspect were also significant factors determining hypolith type, and a role for altitude-related abiotic variables in determining the distribution of Type I, II and III hypolithons is proposed.en_NZ
dc.identifier.citationCowan, D.A., Pointing, S.B., Stevens, M.I., Cary, S.C., Stomeo, F. & Tuffin, I.M. (2010). Distribution and abiotic influences on hypolithic microbial communities in an Antarctic Dry Valley. Polar Biology, 34(2), 307-311.en_NZ
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s00300-010-0872-2en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/4433
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringeren_NZ
dc.relation.isPartOfPolar Biologyen_NZ
dc.relation.urihttp://www.springerlink.com/content/1lk3n70j1714kv03/en_NZ
dc.subjectMiers valleyen_NZ
dc.subjectAntarcticaen_NZ
dc.subjectcryptic microbial communitiesen_NZ
dc.subjecthypolithonsen_NZ
dc.subjectmicronichesen_NZ
dc.titleDistribution and abiotic influences on hypolithic microbial communities in an Antarctic Dry Valleyen_NZ
dc.typeJournal Articleen_NZ
pubs.begin-page1en_NZ
pubs.elements-id35245
pubs.end-page5en_NZ
pubs.issue2en_NZ
pubs.volumeonlineen_NZ
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