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Overview: It is generally held that "where there is water, there is life". We are investigating the control of hydrology on microbial structure and biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial-aquatic interfaces in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. These transition zones are easily delineated as wetted sediment bounding lakes and streams in the Dry Valleys. Because there is little precipitation and permafrost is shallow (< 1 m), the water in these interfaces comes from the adjoining water body. We expect that a gradient of soil moisture exists across these transition zones, from wet near the water body to dry, within several meters.

Example of a lentic hydrologic margin, Lake Joyce, Pearse Valley, Antarctica.

Expected pattern of subsurface moisture and microbial diversity in dry valley hydrologic margins.

We propose that hydrologic margins are unique locations of biogeochemical cycling and soil microbial habitat in the dry valleys landscape. We will test the hypothesis that the presence of and proximity to liquid water influences the structure and functioning of sub-surface microbial populations and consequently biogeochemical conditions in hydrologic margins of the dry valleys with coordinated hydrologic, biogeochemical, and molecular microbial studies. Further, we expect that lentic (i.e. lake) hydrologic margins have biogeochemical functions that will influence only local sub-surface environments, but that lotic (i.e. stream) hydrologic margin biogeochemical functions influence a much broader portion of the dry valleys landscape, including stream water, downstream hydrologic margins, and ultimately lakes.

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2004-05 Field Season Report

2005-06 Field Season Report

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Published Results from this Project:  (* indicates student lead author; ^I indicates invited talk)
Publications:

1. Gooseff, MN, JE Barrett, ML Northcott, DB Bate, K Hill, LH Zeglin, M Bobb, and CD Takacs-Vesbach. 2007. Controls on the spatial dimensions of wetted hydrological margins of two Antarctic lakes. Vadose Zone Journal,  6: 841-848.
   
   
2. Gooseff, MN,  JE Barrett, S Ikard, ML Northcott, C Vesbach, and L Zeglin. 2008. Thermal dynamics of active layer along a hydrologic gradient bordering lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, eds. DL Kane, and KM Hinkel, Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, Institute of Northern Engineering, 529-534.
   
   
3. *Ryan, GT, MF Kirk, J Priscu, JE Barrett, MN Gooseff, and C Takacs-Vesbach. In preparation. Pseudomonas fryxellensis sp. nov., isolated from Lake Fryxell, Antarctica. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
   
   
4. *Ryan, GT, JE Barrett, MN Gooseff, and C Takacs-Vesbach. In review. Psychrobacter priscuii sp. nov., isolated from Lake Fryxell, Antarctica. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
   
   
5. *Zeglin, LH, R Sinsabaugh, J Barrett, M Gooseff, and C Takacs-Vesbach. 2009. Landscape distribution of microbial activity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys: Linked biotic processes, hydrology and geochemistry in a cold desert ecosystem. Ecosystems, 12(4): 562-573.
   
   
6. *Northcott, ML, MN Gooseff, JE Barrett, L Zeglin, CD Takacs-Vesbach, and J Humphrey. 2009. Hydrologic characteristics of lake- and stream-side riparian wetted margins in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Hydrological Processes, 23(9): 1255-1267.
   
   
7. *Ikard, S, MN Gooseff, JE Barrett, and C Vesbach. 2009. Thermal characterisation of active layer across a soil moisture gradient in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 20(1): 27-39, doi:10.1002/ppp.634.
   
   
8. Ayres, EB, BJ Adams, JE Barrett, RA Virginia and DH Wall. 2007. Unique similarity of faunal communities across aquatic-terrestrial interfaces in a polar desert ecosystem - Soil-sediment boundaries and faunal community. Ecosystems, 10: 523-535.
   
   
9. Sinsabaugh, R., C. Lauber, M. Weintraub, B. Ahmed, S. Allison, C. Crenshaw, A. Contosta, D. Cusack, S. Frey, M. Gallo, T. Gartner, S. Hobbie, K. Holland, B. Keeler, J. Powers, M. Stursova, C. Takacs-Vesbach, M. Waldrop, M. Wallenstein, D. Zak, and L. Zeglin.  2008. Stoichiometry of soil enzyme activity at global scale.  Ecology Letters, 11(11): 1252-1264.
   
   
10. *Bate, D. B., J. E. Barrett, M. A. Poage and R. A. Virginia. 2008. Soil phosphorus cycling in an Antarctic polar desert. Geoderma, 144: 21-31.
    
    
11. Barrett, JE, MN Gooseff, C Takacs-Vesbach. 2009. Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 13: 2349-2358.
    
    
12. *Zeglin, LH, CN Dahm, JE Barrett, MN Gooseff, SK Fitpatrick and CD Takacs-Vesbach. 2011. Bacterial community structure along moisture gradients in the parafluvial sediments of two ephemeral desert streams. Microbial Ecology, 61(3): 543-556

Conference Presentations:

1. *Bobb, M, LH Zeglin, MN Gooseff, JE Barrett, CN Dahm, and CD Vesbach. 2005. Scales of microbial diversity across aquatic/terrestiral interfaces in a polar desert. American Society of Limnology & Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT. [poster]
   
   
2. Barrett, JE, MN Gooseff, ML Northcott, M Bobb, L Zeglin, DB Bate, and C Takacs-Vesbach. 2005. Nutrient cycling in riparian soils and sediments bordering cold desert streams and lakes. Joint Meeting of the American Geophysical Union Spring and North American Benthological Society, New Oreleans, LA. [poster]
   
   
3. *Bobb, M, LH Zeglin, MN Gooseff, JE Barrett, CN Dahm, and CD Vesbach. 2005. Hydrological/Biogeochemical Controls Over Microbial Diversity Across Varying Spatial Scales In Antarctic Hyporheic Zones. Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. [poster]
   
   
4. Gooseff, MN, JE Barrett, KR Hill, DB Bate, ML Northcott, LH Zeglin, M Bobb, and CD Vesbach. 2005. Controls on Soil Moisture Wicking Extent Away From Lake Fryxell (Constant Boundary Condition) in the Dry Valleys Polar Desert, Antarctica. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. [poster]
   
   
5. *Bobb, B, LH Zeglin, MN Gooseff, JE Barrett, C Dahm, and CD Takacs-Vesbach. 2005. Hydrological/Biogeochemical Controls Over Microbial Diversity Across Varying Spatial Scales In Antarctic Riparian Zones. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. [poster]
   
   
6. *Northcott, ML, and MN Gooseff. 2006. Evaporation in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica: A model of fractionation across riparian zones. American Geophysical Union Hydrology Days, Colorado State University.
   
   
7. Vesbach, CD, LH Zeglin, MD Bobb, CN Dahm, JE Barrett, and MN Gooseff. 2006. Biological and physical gradients in near-stream hydrologic margins of hot and cold deserts. North American Benthological Society Annual Meeting, Anchorage, AK.
   
   
8. *Northcott, M, M Gooseff, J Barrett, L Zeglin, and C Takacs-Vesbach. 2006. Wetted margin dynamics: The interplay of soil hydrology, biogeochemistry, and microbial ecology in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (H13A-1354).
   
   
9. ^I*Zeglin, L, C Vesbach, C Dahm, J Barrett, and M Gooseff. 2006. Nitrogen cycling and bacterial diversity in hot and cold desert stream margins. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (B11D-04).
   
   
10. *Crossey, E, L Zeglin, J Barrett, M Gooseff, and T Takacs-Vesbach. 2006. Temporal Dynamics of an Antarctic Riparian Zone Microbial Community. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting (B13C-1111). [poster]
    
    
11. *Zeglin, LH, CR Takacs-Vesbach, CN Dahm, JE Barrett, and MN Gooseff. 2007. Biological, physical and nutrient gradients in near-stream hydrologic margins of hot and cold deserts. American Society of Limnology & Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Santa Fe, NM. [poster]
    
    
12. Takacs-Vesbach, C, KR Mitchell L Zeglin, JE Barrett, M Gooseff. 2007. Microbial diversity and temperature: Differing processes at the hot and cold extremes. American Society of Limnology & Oceanography Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Santa Fe, NM.
    
    
13. *Zeglin, LH, CD Takacs-Vesbach, CN Dahm, RL Sinsabaugh, JE Barrett, and M Gooseff. 2007. Microbial taxonomic and functional diversity in parafluvial sediments of cold and hot desert streams. North American Benthological Society Annual Meeting, Columbia, South Carolina.
    
    
14. Barrett, JE, RA Virginia, DH Wall, and BJ Adams. 2007. Persistent effects of climate driven hydrological pulses on soil communities in a Polar Desert ecosystem. Soil Ecology Society Annual Meeting, Moab, Utah.
    
    
15. Gooseff, MN, JE Barrett, S Ikard, M Northcott, C Vesbach, and L Zeglin. 2008. Thermal dynamics of active layer along a hydrologic gradient bordering lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, Fairbanks, Alaska.
    
    
16. Barrett, JE, MN Gooseff, and C Tacaks-Vesbach. 2008. Biogeochemical cycling in riparian soils bordering cold desert lakes and streams. 1^st International Conference on Hydropedology, University Park, PA.

Theses/Dissertations:

1. Bobb, M. 2006. Spatial patterns of bacterial diversity in cold desert riparian zones. MS Thesis, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico.
   
   
2. Northcott, ML. 2007. Wetted margin hydrology of the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.  MS Thesis, Geology & Geological Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines.

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Graduate Students:

Undergraduate Students:

• Ken Hill (USU)
• Erin Crossey (Colo. College)
• Kim Rogers (UNM)
• Sabrielle Sky (UNM)
  

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Related Links:

Project Summary McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER web site

Raytheon Polar Services Antarctic Treaty Handbook

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This project is funded through the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0338267. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation