Antarctic ecosystems are fascinating in their limited trophic complexity, with decomposition
and nutrient cycling functions being dominated by microbial activities. Not only are Antarctic …

Several studies have shown that microbial communities in Antarctic environments are highly
diverse. However, considering that the Antarctic Peninsula is among the regions with the …

Because of severe abiotic limitations, Antarctic soils represent simplified systems, where
microorganisms are the principal drivers of nutrient cycling. This relative simplicity makes …

Background Resident soil microbiota play key roles in sustaining the core ecosystem
processes of terrestrial Antarctica, often involving unique taxa with novel functional traits …

The Antarctic is the most untouched terrestrial region of the planet but the most vulnerable to
global environmental changes. In this regard, the monitoring of terrestrial environments is …

Climate change has the potential to induce dramatic shifts in the biodiversity and
functionality of soil microorganisms in polar hyperarid ecosystems. In these depauperate soil …

Antarctic soils are extremely cold, dry, and oligotrophic, yet harbour surprisingly high
bacterial diversity. The severity of environmental conditions has constrained the …

Our current understanding of Antarctic soils is derived from direct culture on selective media,
biodiversity studies based on clone library construction and analysis, quantitative PCR …

The Antarctica Dry Valleys are regarded as the coldest hyperarid desert system on Earth.
While a wide variety of environmental stressors including very low minimum temperatures …

Ice-free areas represent less than 1% of the Antarctic surface. However, climate change
models predict a significant increase in temperatures in the coming decades, triggering a …