Summary
Robertskollen is a group of geologically similar nunataks in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, with breeding colonies of snow petrels Pagodroma nivea at some of the nunataks. Transects determining macro-plant structure and cover were conducted along an a priori determined bird-influence gradient to assess the relative importance of ornithogenic products and physical factors on plant assemblages. Fine-scale (intra-transect) dispersion patterns of plants were determined primarily by physical factors affecting water availability (i.e. the amount of drift-snow available and the effects of shelter and shade on evaporation rates). Coarse-scale (inter-transect) analysis of plant dispersion patterns, however, showed significant responses along the bird-influence gradient, with consistent responses between nunataks. Plant cover was directly related to bird-influence, but was depressed within bird colonies, apparently due to excessive nutrient enrichment. Mites (Acari) were the only arthropods recorded at Robertskollen and total mite abundance was related to plant cover, although specific responses varied. Thallus diameters of the abundant lichen Umbilicaria decussata decreased with decreasing bird influence, suggesting that nutrients limit plant growth away from bird colonies. Soil concentrations of major plant nutrients, N, P and K, were significantly greater close to bird colonies. We conclude that nutrients in ornithogenic products have direct causal effects on the abundance and dispersion of the biota of inland Antarctic nunataks, and that the effects of nutrient enrichment are detectable at different spatial scales from the effects of physical factors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmadjian V (1970) Adaptations of Antarctic terrestrial plants. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology vol 2. Academic Press, New York, pp 801–811
Akiyama M, Ohyama Y, Kanda H (1986) Soil nutrient condition related to the distribution of terrestrial algae near Syowa Station, Antarctica. Mem Natl Inst Polar Res, Spec Iss 44:198–201
Benninghoff WS, Benninghoff AS (1985) Wind transport of electrostatically charged particles and minute organisms in Antarctica. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 592–596
Bowra GT, Holdgate MW, Tilbrook PJ (1966) Biological investigations in Tottanfjella and central Heimefrontfjella. Br Antarct Surv Bull 9:63–70
Broady PA (1987) A floristic survey of algae at four locations in northern Victoria Land. NZ Antarct Rec 7:8–19
Cameron RE, King J, David CN (1968) Soil microbial and ecological studies in southern Victoria Land. Antarct J US 3:121–123
Dalenius P, Wilson O (1958) On the soil fauna of the Antarctic and subAntarctic islands. The Oribatidae (Acari). Ark Zool 11:393–425
Davey A (1983) Effects of abiotic factors on nitrogen fixation by bluegreen algae in Antarctica. Polar Biol 2:95–100
Engelskjøn T (1986) Botany of two Antarctic mountain ranges: Gjelsvikfjella and Mühlig-Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land. I. General ecology and development of the Antarctic cold desert cryptogam formation. Polar Res 4:205–224
Friedmann EI, Kibler AP (1980) Nitrogen economy of endolithic microbial communities in hot and cold deserts. Microbiol Ecol 6:95–108
Gannutz TP (1971) Ecodynamics of lichen communities in Antarctica. In: Quam LO, Porter HD (eds) Research in the Antarctic. Am Assoc Adv Sci, Washington DC, pp 213–226
Greenacre MJ, Underhill LG (1982) Scaling a data matrix in a lowdimensional Euclidean space. In: Hawkins DM (ed) Topics in applied multivariate analysis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 183–268
Greene SW, Longton RE (1970) The effects of climate on Antarctic plants. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 2. Academic Press, London, pp 786–800
Gressitt JL, Shoup J (1967) Ecological notes on the free-living mites in north Victoria Land. In: Gressitt JL (ed) Antarct res ser, vol 10. Entomology of Antarctica. American Geophys Union, Washington DC, pp 307–320
Kappen L (1985a) Vegetation and ecology of ice-free areas of northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. 2. Ecological conditions in typical microhabitats of lichens at Birthday Ridge. Polar Biol 4:227–236
Kappen L (1985b) Vegetation and ecology of ice-free areas of northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. 1. The lichen vegetation at Birthday Ridge and an inland mountain. Polar Biol 4:213–225
Krynauw JR (1986) The petrology and geochemistry of intrusions at selected nunataks in the Ahlmannryggen and Giaeverryggen, western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. PhD thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg
Lamb IM (1970) Antarctic terrestrial plants and their biology. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 2. Academic Press, London, pp 733–751
LewisSmith RI (1984) Terrestrial plant biology of the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic. In: Laws RM (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 1. Academic Press, London, pp 61–162
Lewis Smith RI (1985) Nutrient cycling in relation to biological productivity in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 138–155
øvenskiold HL (1960) The Snow Petrel Pagodroma nivea nesting in Dronning Maud Land. Ibis 102:132–134
Mehlum F, Gjessing Y, Haftorn S, Bech C(1988) Census of breeding Antarctic Petrels Thalassoica antarctica, and physical features of the breeding colony at Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land, with notes on breeding Snow Petrels Pagodroma nivea and South Polar Skuas Catharacta maccormicki. Polar Res 6: 1–9
Myrcha A, Pietr SJ, Tatur A (1985) The role of pygoscelid penguin rookeries in nutrient cycles at Admiralty Bay, King George Island. In: Siegfried WR, Condy PR, Laws RM (eds) Antarctic nutrient cycles and food webs. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 156–162
Nakanishi S (1977) Ecological studies of the moss and lichen communities in the ice-free areas near Syowa Station, Antarctica. Antarct Rec 59:68–96
Parker BC, Zeller EJ, Heiskell LE, Thomson WJ (1978) Non-biogenic fixed nitrogen in Antarctica and some ecological implications. Nature 271:651–652
Perkins JE (1945) Biology at Little America III, the West Base of the United States Antarctic Service Expedition 1939–1941. Proc Am Philos Soc 89:270–284
Pietr SJ (1986) The physiological groups of microorganisms in different soils at Admiralty Bay region (King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). Pol Polar Res 7:395–406
Ramsay AJ (1983) Bacterial biomass in ornithogenic soils of Antarctica. Polar Biol 1:221–225
Ramsay AJ, Stannard RE (1986) Numbers and viability of bacteria in ornithogenic soils of Antarctica. Polar Biol 5:195–198
Rudolph ED (1963) Vegetation of Hallett Station area. Victoria Land, Antarctica. Ecology 44:585–586
Ryan PG, Watkins BP (1988) Birds of the inland mountains of western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Cormorant 16:34–40
Ryan PG, Watkins BP (1989) Snow Petrel breeding biology at an inland site in continental Antarctica. Colonial Waterbirds 12
Ryan PG, Watkins BP, Lewis Smith RI, Dastych H, Eicker A, Foissner W, Thompson G (1989) Biological survey of Robertskollen, western Dronning Maud Land: area description and preliminary species lists. S Afr J Antarct Res 19: 10–20
Shaw GE (1980) Optical, chemical and physical properties of aerosols over the Antarctic ice sheet. Atmos Environ 14:911–921
Siple PA (1938) The second Byrd Antarctic Expedition-botany. I. Ecology and geographical distribution. Ann Bot Garden 25:467–514
Sømme L (1977) Observations on the Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea) in Vestfjella, Dronning Maud Land. Norsk Polarinst Arbok 1976:285–292
Sømme L (1986) New records of terrestrial arthropods from Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Polar Res 4:225–229
Ugolini FC (1970) Antarctic soils and their ecology. In: Holdgate MW (ed) Antarctic ecology, vol 2. Academic Press, London, pp 673–692
Zar JH (1984) Biostatistical analysis, 2nd edn. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ryan, P.G., Watkins, B.P. The influence of physical factors and ornithogenic products on plant and arthropod abundance at an Inland Nunatak group in Antarctica. Polar Biol 10, 151–160 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239162
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239162