Climate and soil characteristics and soil arthropod abundance on Anchorage, Signy and Falkland Islands

Over a 2-year study, we investigated the effect of environmental change on the diversity and abundance of soil arthropod communities (Acari and Collembola) in the Maritime Antarctic and the Falkland Islands. Open Top Chambers (OTCs), as used extensively in the framework of the northern boreal International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), were used to increase the temperature in contrasting communities on three islands along a latitudinal temperature gradient, ranging from the Falkland Islands (51°S, mean annual temperature 7.5 °C) to Signy Island (60°S, -2.3°C) and Anchorage Island (67°S, -3.8°C). At each island an open and a closed plant community were studied: lichen vs. moss at the Antarctic sites, and grass vs. dwarf shrub at the Falkland Islands. The OTCs raised the soil surface temperature during most months of the year. During the summer the level of warming achieved was 1.7 °C at the Falkland Islands, 0.7 °C at Signy Island, and 1.1 °C at Anchorage Island. […]

本研究历时两年，探究了环境变化对海洋性南极区域（Maritime Antarctic）与福克兰群岛（Falkland Islands）内土壤节肢动物群落（Acari与Collembola）的多样性及丰度的影响。本研究采用了广泛应用于北寒带国际苔原试验（International Tundra Experiment，简称ITEX）框架的开顶式气室（Open Top Chambers，简称OTCs），在沿纬度温度梯度分布的三座岛屿的对照植被群落中开展增温实验，该温度梯度覆盖福克兰群岛（51°S，年平均气温7.5℃）、西格尼岛（60°S，-2.3℃）与安克雷奇岛（67°S，-3.8℃）。每座岛屿均设置了两类对照植物群落：南极站点为地衣群落与苔藓群落，福克兰群岛则为草本群落与矮灌群落。开顶式气室可在一年中多数月份提升土壤表层温度。夏季时，福克兰群岛的增温幅度达1.7℃，西格尼岛为0.7℃，安克雷奇岛为1.1℃。[…]