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GIS analysis, biological samples (soil microorganism, invertebrate and plant), automatic weather station data and vegetation and invertebrate surveys to determine the terrestrial biocomplexity of the McMurdo Dry Valleys

Entry ID: K020_2008_2009_NZ_1

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Summary

Abstract: The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest area of snow-free land in Antarctica. Managers ability to promote and protect these areas would benefit if we knew the biodiversity present and what controls it distribution. The research therefore focused on describing and predicting biodiversity of terrestrial habitats in the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. The aim is to produce a GIS/biodiversity database ... that links biodiversity with environmental factors such as geology, and soil moisture content, to produce a model that is easily understood and useable by non-specialists and endusers. Samples of soil, invertebrates and mosses were collected from the Miers, Marshall, and Garwood Valleys for geochemistry and biological analysis. Over 450 sampling sites were visited although roughly 15 were inaccessible due to terrain or snow cover. A total 435 vegetation and invertebrate surveys were made and over 450 soil samples collected. At each location up-to-date molecular techniques were used to describe the biota from visible lichens, mosses and invertebrates to the hidden microbes. The soil samples were subsampled and analyses of soil geochemistry, soil respiration, microinvertebrate content (e.g. nematodes, rotifers, tardigrades), and microbiological assays. Samples were collected and split in the field using aseptic techniques for DNA analysis. New genomic approaches that examine microbial communities as a whole (i.e., metagenomics) or even their entire functional aspects (i.e., metatranscriptomics) were used to provide a comprehensive picture of systematic and functional biodiversity, which will help resolve the drivers of biodiversity in the environment. The samples are part of a major landscape scale study to determine the primary drivers of biodiversity and distribution of flora and fauna in the Dry Valleys. In addition, the SOM and other nutrient status including the form of subsidy was determined, and this information will be placed, together with site-specific variables such as aspect, slope, water, snow, stability. The use of GIS is central to the success of this project and considerable success in collating, analysing and preparing information for the GIS analysis. Two automatic weather stations were installed together with various trap systems to measure transfer of material within the Miers and Garwood Valleys in the 2007-2008 field season and in the 2008-2009 field season another was installed in the Marshall Valley.

Related URL

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Description: The investigators homepage

Geographic Coverage

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Spatial coordinates

N: -78.0

S: -78.16

E: 164.47

W: 163.61

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2008-11-07

Stop Date: 2009-01-28

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA

CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > MIERS VALLEY

Science Keywords

BIOSPHERE > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > DESERTS

LAND SURFACE > LANDSCAPE > LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA

Project

EOSDIS > Earth Observing System Data Information System

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

SEDAC/SDP > Species Distribution Project

Access Constraints None

Use Constraints The Trustees of Columbia University hold the copyright of this dataset. Users are prohibited from any commercial sale or free redistribution without explicit written permission from CIESIN. Users should acknowledge CIESIN as the source used in the creation of any reports, publications, new datasets, derived products, or services resulting from the use of this dataset. CIESIN also requests reprints of any publications and notification of any redistributing efforts.

Ancillary Keywords

CIESIN > Environmental Protection > Biodiversity > Endangered Species

CIESIN > Environmental Protection > Biodiversity > Protected Species

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

SEDAC

Data Center

Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center

Data Center URL: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/
Dataset ID: CIESIN_SEDAC_SPECIES_BIRD_RICH

Data Center Personnel
Name: SEDAC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 845-365-8920 Fax: +1 845-365-8922 Email: ciesin.info at ciesin.columbia.edu Contact Address: 61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000 City: Palisades Province or State: NY Postal Code: 10964 Country: USA

World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment

Data Center URL: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/wdc/
Dataset ID: CIESIN_SEDAC_SPECIES_BIRD_RICH

Data Center Personnel
Name: ROBERT CHEN Phone: 1-845-365-8952 Fax: 1-845-365-8922 Email: bchen at ciesin.columbia.edu Contact Address: WDC for Human Interactions in the Environment CIESIN/Columbia University P. O. Box 1000 61 Route 9W City: Palisades Province or State: NY Postal Code: 10964 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: ONLINE HTTP

Distribution Format: BIL

Fees: 0

Personnel

SEDAC USER SERVICES

Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Phone: +1 845-365-8920

Fax: +1 845-365-8922

Email: ciesin.info at ciesin.columbia.edu

Contact Address:

61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000

City: Palisades

Province or State: NY

Postal Code: 10964

Country: USA

CIESIN METADATA ADMINISTRATION

Role: DIF AUTHOR

Phone: +1 845-365-8988

Fax: +1 845-365-8922

Email: metadata at ciesin.columbia.edu

Contact Address:

61 Route 9W, P.O. Box 1000

City: Palisades

Province or State: New York

Postal Code: 10964

Country: USA

Publications/References

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University, and NatureServe (2008), Gridded Species Distribution, Version 1: Birds of the Americas Original Grids, NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Palisades, NY, http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/species-v1-americas-bird-...

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN)/Columbia University, and NatureServe (2008), Gridded Species Distribution, Version 1: Birds of the Americas Presence Grids, NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Palisades, NY, http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/species-v1-americas-bird-...

Extended Metadata Properties

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Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2008-09-16

Last DIF Revision Date: 2013-02-14

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