Identity of plant, lichen and moss species connects with microbial abundance and soil functioning in Maritime Antarctica.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

We lack studies evaluating how the identity of plant, lichen and moss species relates to microbial abundance and soil functioning on Antarctica. If species identity is associated with soil functioning, distributional changes of key species, linked to climate change, could significantly affect Antarctic soil functioning.

Methods

We evaluated how the identity of six Antarctic plant, lichen and moss species relates to a range of soil attributes (C, N and P cycling), microbial abundance and structure in Livingston Island, Maritime Antarctica. We used an effect size metric to predict the association between species (vs. bare soil) and the measured soil attributes.

Results

We observed species-specific effects of the plant and biocrust species on soil att

SUBMITTER: Benavent-Gonzalez A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6071914 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature