Relating fungal functional diversity to C-cycling in sub- and Maritime Antarctic soils
Lead Research Organisation:
Rothamsted Research
Department Name: Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems
Abstract
Please see lead proposal
Publications
Cox F
(2019)
Endemic and cosmopolitan fungal taxa exhibit differential abundances in total and active communities of Antarctic soils.
in Environmental microbiology
Cox F
(2016)
Not poles apart: Antarctic soil fungal communities show similarities to those of the distant Arctic.
in Ecology letters
Horrocks C
(2020)
Predicting climate change impacts on maritime Antarctic soils: a space-for-time substitution study
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
| Description | Results from soils collected from the three Antarctic Islands on a latitudinal gradient show differences in total soil C and N concentrations likely to be driven by differences in climate leading to increased C input further north and reduced N uptake further south, leading to soils having distinctly different C:N ratios. The lower soil N concentrations at depth in the low maritime Antarctic (Signy Island) compared with the other study sites and the highly 15N enriched soils observed in the high maritime Antarctic (Léonie Island) indicate potentially significant losses of old accumulated ornithogenic N may have occurred because of warming over the last approximately 100 years on Signy Island, a possibility that requires further research. The differences in stable carbon isotopes and bacterial (PLFA) and fungal (ergosterol) biomarkers across the island transect show how differences in climatic stress lead to the development of distinct plant and microbial communities across the three islands. With the prediction of several degrees of warming over the next 100 years for the region, the response of the communities in these C and N rich soils could have consequences for the the local ecosystems but also have global implications driven by net changes in greenhouse gas emissions. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings suggest that the impact of warming on soil and C availability has progressed further than expected on Leonie Island. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Description | Presentation to the British Society of Soil Science# Applications of compound-specific mass spectrometry to investigate microbial dynamics in Antarctic soils Claire A. Horrocks, Jennifer A. J. Dungait, Filipa Cox, Kevin K. Newsham, Roland Bol, Mark H. Garnett, Clare H. Robinson |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Description | Visit to BAS, October 2016 |
| Organisation | British Antarctic Survey |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Visited collaborator to discuss manuscript progress. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors. |
| Impact | Papers and talks. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Oral Presentation SWESDiG |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | South West England Soil Discussion Group presentation by Dr Claire Horrocks 'Biogeochemical markers for microbial dynamics in Antarctic soils', May 2014 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Oral presentation BSSS, Manchester |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Offered oral presentation at the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS) Annual Meeting by Dr Claire Horrocks, Manchester, Sept 2014. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://soils.org.uk/event/230 |
| Description | School Visit to Teign School Kingsteignton |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Gave a talk on science careers and the different projects I have worked on and the different countries scientists get to travel to |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | talk to RAU MSc student visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Gave a presentation highlighting the varied applications of soil biochemical analysis: Entitled "The UK to Antarctica; global applications of soil Biochemistry" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |