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

在拟议的项目范围内，将研究拉斯曼山（东南极）冰川前区微生物群落的发展和功能。南极地区的冰川消退使新的地形暴露于土壤发育和随后的微生物定植。前田最初是免费的植被，并代表作为一个功能的无冰条件的时间序列。这些地区的动态地方发展和殖民化被认为会在气候变化面前发生巨大变化。因此，该项目的目的是了解初始微生物群落的多样性及其依赖于栖息地形成和环境条件的发展。这包括调查群落结构沿着所研究的年代序列（从最年轻到最古老的土壤/沉积物的横断面）的小规模变化，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号考察期间，描述并取样了拉斯曼山冰川前田沿线沿着的大量土壤/沉积物剖面。将采用地球化学和微生物相结合的方法，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.