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Abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates in the Windmill Islands region, East Antarctica

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Abstract

The harsh climate and patchy distribution of habitable terrestrial ecosystems constrain soil invertebrate communities in continental Antarctica. The Windmill Islands in East Antarctica have a relatively gentle climate by Antarctic standards, and the region supports some of the most well-developed moss beds on the continent. These moss beds and soils are known to sustain invertebrate communities dominated by nematodes, rotifers and tardigrades, but our knowledge of the diversity and composition of these communities remains limited. We extracted soil fauna from 74 soil samples representing a wide range of microhabitats, and 24 moss samples, collected at Clark Peninsula, Bailey Peninsula and Robinson Ridge in the Windmill Islands during the 2012–2013 austral summer. Invertebrates were present in all samples, but densities varied considerably both within and between sites with limited correlation with edaphic variables or cover type. Taxa found included two species of nematodes (Plectus murrayi; Plectus frigophilus), one mite (Nanorchestes antarcticus) as well as tardigrades and rotifers (enumerated only). No springtails were found in this study, but individuals of the genus Cryptopygus were later recovered from moss collected near Casey Station. The Windmill Islands soils and moss beds support dense populations of soil fauna. However, despite the relatively mild climate conditions and favorable soil properties, species diversity is low. The diversity is possibly limited by recent deglaciation and limited dispersal opportunities to the region. Given favorable local conditions, it is likely that colonizing species will perform well, whether these arrive by natural means or are accidentally introduced by humans.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Australian Antarctic program for logistic support and the staff at Casey Station for helping facilitate this work, and in particular Z. Malenovsky, A. Nydahl, J. Bramley-Alves and R. Miller for help in the field. Figure 1 was produced by D. Smith, Australian Antarctic Data Centre. We are grateful to J. Wasley and A. Cooper for constructive input and comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript, and three anonymous reviewers and the editor provided constructive comments. This work was funded through an Australian Antarctic Science Grant (AAS Project 4100) to C. King.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment & School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Richmond, NSW, Australia

    Uffe N. Nielsen

  2. Australian Antarctic Division, Kingston, TAS, Australia

    Catherine K. King

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  1. Uffe N. Nielsen
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  2. Catherine K. King
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Correspondence to Uffe N. Nielsen.

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Nielsen, U.N., King, C.K. Abundance and diversity of soil invertebrates in the Windmill Islands region, East Antarctica. Polar Biol 38, 1391–1400 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-015-1703-2

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