Synthesis of Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Victoria Land, Antarctica: A Workshop; September 8-12, 2004; Jekyll Island, GA

这是第一次为研究土壤生物多样性及其在南极洲维多利亚地生态系统功能中的作用的科学家提供论坛的研讨会。在过去的15年里，评估土壤生物多样性与生态系统功能之间联系的研究在全球范围内得到了加速，许多国家的科学家研究的主题包括：土壤生物在分解中的作用；它们在物质和营养物质转移中的作用；以及从地方到全球范围内，地上多样性和地下多样性之间的关系。因为维多利亚地南极系统可以被认为是一个典型的户外实验室，在那里进行的研究对这些和其他当前重要的生物学主题做出了独特的贡献，从进化生物学到干扰生态学。在这里，就像在其他生态系统中一样，科学家可以研究物理和化学特性是如何构成群落的，并研究土壤变暖等干扰对单个物种和群落的影响。来自不同国籍、年龄、学科和经验的与会者将齐聚一堂，讨论维多利亚土地地区的土壤和土壤生物多样性，并分享和综合他们的研究成果。他们将在从分子到生态系统的各个层面评估目前对土壤生物多样性的认识，并将确定人类对该地区的影响。他们将把这些发现与其他生态系统进行比较和对比，并将确定未来的研究需求和优先事项。研讨会的广泛影响和知识价值包括调查土壤物种生物地理学并将其与全球生物多样性评估联系起来，确定这个脆弱的生态系统中是否存在关键物种，比较生物生存策略，以及汇编所有信息以评估该生态系统中土壤生物群对干扰的脆弱性。研讨会还将把南极土壤生态学家与来自国际和美国国家科学基金会长期生态研究站点的研究人员联系起来，为与其他生态系统进行比较提供基础，并吸引新的研究人员参与这一极地站点的研究。其他更广泛的社会影响包括为现有和未来的研究注入新鲜的、新的想法，以了解土壤物种如何促进土壤肥力、土壤稳定以及与河流和湖泊沉积物的联系。总的来说，这项研究对土壤的可持续性有最终的用途。最后，科学界的出版物将是同行评议的期刊文章或一本关于维多利亚土地土壤生态学的书，这将进一步扩展通过研究获得的知识体系。

This is the first workshop to provide a forum for scientists studying issues related to soil biodiversity and its role in ecosystem functioning in Victoria Land, Antarctica. Research assessing the linkages of soil biodiversity to ecosystem functioning has accelerated globally in the past 15 years, with scientists from many nations investigating topics such as: the role of soil organisms in decomposition; their role in the transfer of materials and nutrients; and the relationships between aboveground diversity and belowground diversity, at local to global scales. Because the Victoria Land Antarctic system can be considered a model outdoor laboratory, studies conducted there have made unique contributions to these and other current important topics in biology, ranging from evolutionary biology to disturbance ecology. Here, as in few other ecosystems, scientists can examine how physical and chemical properties structure communities, and investigate the effects of disturbances such as soil warming on individual species and communities.A diverse range of participants, representing different nationalities, ages, disciplines, and experiences will meet to consider soils and soil biodiversity in the Victoria Land Region and to share and synthesize their research findings. They will assess the current understanding of soil biodiversity at levels that range from the molecular to the ecosystem and will determine the effects of human impacts in this region. They will compare and contrast these findings with other ecosystems and will define future research needs and priorities. The broader impacts and intellectual merits of the workshop include investigating soil species biogeography and relating it to global biodiversity estimates, determining if there are key species in this fragile ecosystem, comparing organism survival strategies, and compiling all information to assess the vulnerability of soil biota to disturbance in this ecosystem. The workshop will also link Antarctic soil ecologists with researchers from international and NSF Long Term Ecological Research sites to provide a basis for comparison to other ecosystems and to engage new investigators in research at this polar site. Other broader societal impacts include infusing fresh, new ideas into existing and future research for understanding how soil species contribute to soil fertility, soil stabilization and linkages to sediments of streams and lakes. Overall, the research has ultimate use for soil sustainability. Finally, publications to the scientific community will be peer reviewed journal articles or a book on soil ecology in Victoria Land that will further extend the intellectual body of knowledge obtained through research.