| Title |
NOTE] Bacterial Diversity in Ornithogenic Soils Compared to Mineral Soils on King George Island, Antarctica |
| Author |
Ok-Sun Kim1*, Namyi Chae2,3, Hyun Soo Lim2,4, Ahnna Cho1,5, Jeong Hoon Kim1, Soon Gyu Hong1, and Jeongsu Oh6 |
| Address |
1Division of Polar Life Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea, 2Division of Polar Climate Research, Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon 406-840, Republic of Korea, 3Civil & Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea, 4Department of Geological Sciences, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea, 5Department of Environmental Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701, Republic of Korea, 6Biological Resource Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Deajeon 305-806, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography |
Journal of Microbiology, 50(6),1081-1085, 2012,
|
| DOI |
|
| Key Words |
16S rRNA, pyrosequencing, penguin rookeries, Narębski Point, Barton Peninsula |
| Abstract |
In the Narębski Point area of King George Island of Antarctica, ornithogenic soils form on land under Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguin rookeries. The purpose of this study was to compare the bacterial community compositions in the gradient of contamination by penguin feces; mineral soil with no contamination, and soils with medium or high contamination. The discrimination between mineral soils and ornithogenic soils by characterization of physicochemical properties and bacterial communities was notable. Physicochemical analyses of soil properties showed enrichment of carbon and nitrogen in ornithogenic soils. Firmicutes were present abundantly in active ornithogenic soils, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria in a formerly active one, and several diverse phyla such as Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria in mineral soils. Some predominant species belonging to the Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria may play an important role for the mineralization of nutrients in ornithogenic soils. Results of this study indicate that dominant species may play an important role in mineralization of nutrients in these ecosystems. |
