Chen, Xuejing and Bai, Ruiqi and Ji, Mukan and Liao, Li (2025) The unique microbial diversity of Antarctic ice-free areas: a comparative review. Advances in Polar Science, 36 (4). pp. 268-284.
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Abstract
Antarctic ice-free areas (<0.4% of the continent) represent Antarctic biodiversity oases, where microbial communities sustain terrestrial ecosystem functions. These habitats—encompassing mineral, ornithogenic soils, biological soil crusts, and hypolithic/endolithic niches—are shaped by environmental factors such as pH, organic C/N ratios, moisture, elevation, and trace element availability. The diversity of prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and viruses is lower than in other regions, yet the communities exhibit strong endemism, with site-specific uncultivated lineages. Microorganisms persist through cold and stress adaptations, performing organic carbon decomposition, phototrophy, and oxidation of trace gases to drive carbon and nitrogen cycling in various Antarctic soil habitats. Climate change and anthropogenic disturbances are shifting communities toward copiotrophic generalists, altering elementary cycling and feeding back to climate change. Culturation and genomic-based techniques reveal novel microbial taxa with broad biotechnological potentials on bioactive compounds and cryotolerant enzymes. In summary, this review offers a foundation for exploring Antarctic microbial biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and the development of novel biotechnologies, while also highlighting the urgent need for effective monitoring and preservation strategies to mitigate the impacts of ongoing environmental changes on Antarctic soil ecosystems.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Related URLs: | |
| Keywords: | Antarctic ice-free areas, stress adaptations, microbial diversity, climate change, conservation and biosecurity |
| Subjects: | Natural Environment > Atmosphere Natural Environment > Cryosphere Natural Environment > Terrestrial |
| Organizations: | Advances in Polar Science (APS) |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Apr 2026 14:39 |
| URI: | https://library.arcticportal.org/id/eprint/2947 |
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