Development and function of microbial communities in a glacier forefield chronosequence on Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica

在拟建项目的范围内，将研究Larsemann Hills（东南极洲）冰川前田微生物群落的发展和功能。南极地区退缩的冰川为土壤发育和随后的微生物定植提供了新的地形。前田最初没有植被，代表了作为无冰条件时期函数的时间序列。这些地区的动态发展和殖民化被认为在面对气候变化时发生了巨大变化。因此，了解初始微生物群落的多样性及其对生境形成和环境条件的依赖性是该项目的目的。这包括沿着所研究的时间序列（从最年轻到最古老的土壤/沉积物样带）调查群落结构内的小尺度变化，以及地球化学梯度对种群多样性和功能的影响。为此目的，在ANT-XXIII/9考察期间，对Larsemann Hills冰川前场的大量土壤/沉积物剖面进行了描述和采样。将采用地球化学和微生物学相结合的方法详细描述生境特性，并研究微生物群落的多样性、丰度和功能。

In the scope of the proposed project the development and function of microbial communities in a glacier forefield on Larsemann Hills (East Antarctic) will be studied. Receding glaciers in Antarctic regions expose new terrain to soil development and subsequent colonization by microorganisms. The forefields are initially free of vegetation, and represent chronosequences as a function of the period of ice-free conditions. The dynamic local progression and colonization of such areas is thought to change dramatically in the face of climate change. Therefore, it is the aim of the project to understand the diversity of initial microbial communities and their development in dependence of the habitat formation and environmental conditions. This includes the investigation of small-scale variations within the community structure along the studied chronosequence (transect from youngest to oldest soils/sediments) and the effect of geochemical gradients on the diversity and function of the populations. For this purpose a large number of soil/sediment profiles along the glacier forefield on Larsemann Hills had been described and sampled during the expedition ANT-XXIII/9. A combined geochemical and microbiological approach will be used for a detailed characterization of the habitat properties and to study the diversity, abundance and function of the microbial communities.