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Biotic and chemical characteristics of some soils from Wilkes Land, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2004

Harold Heatwole
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
Peter Saenger
Affiliation:
Centre for Coastal Management, Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia
Alister Spain
Affiliation:
1107 Ross River Road, Rasmussen, Queensland 4815, Australia
Elizabeth Kerry
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Science, University of Tasmania, G.P.O. Box 252C, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
John Donelan
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia Tandem Nonstop Pty Ltd, 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia

Abstract

Numbers of micro-organisms in soils from Wilkes Land varied widely. Bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi occurred in all samples analysed and the numbers of bacteria was positively correlated with the numbers of yeasts, and with pH. Moss protonema and seven species of algae and cyanobacteria were also present and measurable amounts of chlorophylls a, b and c were extracted from some samples. Only a few sites, those with moist sandy or gravelly soils free of extensive moss or lichen cover, contained the single mite species recorded.

Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1989

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