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

这是第一次为研究南极洲维多利亚地土壤生物多样性及其在生态系统功能中的作用的科学家提供论坛的讲习班。在过去15年中，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加速进行，来自许多国家的科学家调查了以下主题：土壤生物在分解中的作用;它们在物质和养分转移中的作用;以及从地方到全球范围内地上多样性与地下多样性之间的关系。由于维多利亚陆地南极系统可以被认为是一个模型的室外实验室，在那里进行的研究作出了独特的贡献，这些和其他当前重要的生物学主题，从进化生物学干扰生态学。在这里，像在其他生态系统，科学家可以研究如何物理和化学特性结构社区，并调查干扰的影响，如土壤变暖对个别物种和community.A不同的参与者，代表不同的国籍，年龄，学科和经验将满足考虑土壤和土壤生物多样性在维多利亚土地区域，并分享和综合他们的研究成果。他们将评估目前对土壤生物多样性的理解，从分子到生态系统，并将确定人类影响在这一地区的影响。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。研讨会的更广泛的影响和知识价值包括调查土壤物种地理学并将其与全球生物多样性估计相关联，确定这一脆弱生态系统中是否有关键物种，比较生物生存策略，以及汇编所有信息以评估土壤生物群对这一生态系统中干扰的脆弱性。研讨会还将把南极土壤生态学家与国际和NSF长期生态研究地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地点的研究。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思想，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审的期刊文章或一本关于维多利亚地土壤生态学的书，这将进一步扩大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.