ISSN:
1573-5117
Keywords:
Antarctica
;
bacteria
;
biofilms
;
cyanobacteria
;
microbial mats
;
Nostoc
;
Phormidium
;
photosynthesis
;
respiration
;
stream algae
;
temperature
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract Water temperatures in southern Victoria Land streams fluctuated over the range 0 to 10 lay close to freezing. In a series of controlled assays at Fryxell Stream, Taylor Valley, the benthic microbial mats showed strongly positive metabolic responses to increases in temperature well above ambient. Rates of polysaccharide and lipid biosynthesis increased with temperature over the range 0 to 25 °C. Between 0 and 10 °C, Q10 values for the cyanobacterial mats were 1.7 to 3.2 for gross photosynthesis, 2.5 to 5.7 for respiration, 2.2 to 2.5 for acetate incorporation into lipid, 1.9 to 3.8 for glucose catabolism, and 1.9 to 2.8 for thymidine incorporation. Respiration accounted for a high percentage of gross photosynthesis, and a net respiratory loss of carbon from three communities was either induced or worsened by an increase in temperature from 0 to 10 °C. The chlorophyll a content of Nostoc disc incubated for one month in darkness decreased by 27% at 5 °C, but by 99% at 25 °C. This set of assays suggests that the cyanobacterial mats contained large amounts of chlorophyll a and carbon associated with inactive or senescing cells. This unusual standing stock could probably not persist under warmer conditions, which would promote both increased respiratory losses and faster rates of bacterial decomposition.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00031611
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