Back to Search
Start Over
Variations in Phototroph Communities on the Ablating Bare-Ice Surface of Glaciers on Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard
- Source :
- Frontiers in Earth Science, Vol 7 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Frontiers Media S.A., 2019.
-
Abstract
- During the summer ablation season, Arctic glacier surfaces host a wealth of microbial life. Here, the phototroph communities on the ablating bare-ice surface of three valley glaciers on Broggerhalvoya, Svalbard were investigated. The communities mainly comprised seven taxa of green algae and cyanobacteria, which have been commonly reported on Arctic glaciers. Although the geographical and glaciological settings of the three studied glaciers are similar, there were differences in total phototroph biomass. The community structure was also distinctive among the glaciers: high dominance of a single taxon of green algae (Ancylonema nordenskioldii) for Midtre Lovenbreen, abundant cyanobacteria for Austre Broggerbreen, and diverse green algae for Pedersenbreen. The major soluble ions in the surface ice showed that there was no significant difference in meltwater nutrient conditions between the glaciers, but there were lower concentrations of mineral-derived ions on Midtre Lovenbreen. Consequently, the glacier-specific mineral loading and surface hydrology are inferred to explain the contrast in bare ice algal communities between the glaciers. We hypothesise that local, glacier-specific conditions affect algal communities and the associated influences on carbon cycling and ice-surface albedo.
- Subjects :
- geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Phototroph
Community structure
Glacier
010502 geochemistry & geophysics
01 natural sciences
cyanobacteria
Carbon cycle
Svalbard
ice algae
Arctic
Cryoconite
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Dominance (ecology)
Environmental science
glaciers
lcsh:Q
Physical geography
cryoconite
Meltwater
lcsh:Science
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 22966463
- Volume :
- 7
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Earth Science
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c48404f931a11926823b5a3e4c2b396c