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Biologische Bodenkrustenalgen in den Polarregionen - Biodiversität, genetische Diversität und Ökosystem-Elastizität unter Global Change Szenarien

Subject Area Oceanography
Term from 2013 to 2019
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 237488018
 
Final Report Year 2019

Final Report Abstract

Terrestrial green algae and cyanobacteria are typical and abundant components of biological soil crusts in the polar regions. These communities form water-stable aggregates that have important ecological roles in primary production, nitrogen fixation, nutrient cycling, water retention and stabilization of soils. Although available data on green algae and cyanobacteria are generally very limited for the Arctic and Antarctica, their functional importance as ecosystem developers in nutrient poor environments is regarded as high. The main goal of our project was, for the first time, to conduct a precise evaluation of the biodiversity of eukaryotic green microalgae and cyanobacteria in biological soil crusts (BSCs) isolated from the Antarctic Peninsula and Arctic Svalbard. Vegetation surveys were performed at the research sites on Livingston Island (Antarctica) and Svalbard (Arctica). The most abundant taxa were identified using classical approaches, molecular identification techniques using newly established cultured strains, as well as new omics technics (such as metabarcoding and metatranscriptomics). The infra-specific genetic diversity of a range of selected (ecological key species) populations was determined in relation to their physiological plasticity. In addition, the project contributed to our understanding of the biogeography of cyanobacterial and algal communities within soil crusts, the spatial and seasonal role of cyanobacteria and algae within the soil crust community, and the dependence of the community composition on the availability of water. The resilience to water and temperature stress has also been studied using classical and metatranscriptomic approaches using common algal genera found in soil crust communities. A major finding of the latter studies was that cold acclimation improved water stress resilience in the ubiquitous alga "Klebsormidium". Overall, the project has led to 10 publications in international recognized journals.

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