Bulgarian Antarctic Research: Life Sciences

137 Pages·2004·2.22 MB·English

by  V. Golemansky

M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010 M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010 M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010
B
U
L
G
A
R
IA
N

A
N
T
A
R
C
T
IC

R
E
S
E
A
R
C
H

(cid:139)
V
O
L
U
M
E

4
M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010 M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010 M8060 40 2010 Y 8060 40 2010 C 8060 40 2010 B 8060 40 2010
BAR4 Page i
BULGARIAN ANTARCTIC RESEARCH
Life Sciences Vol. 4
BAR4 Page ii
This page intentionally left blank
BAR4 Page iii
Bulgarian Bulgarian
Antarctic Institute Academy of Sciences
BULGARIAN
ANTARCTIC RESEARCH
Life Sciences
Volume 4
Edited by
Acad. V. Golemansky & Dr. N. Chipev
Sofia - Moscow
2004
BAR4 Page iv
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
© PENSOFT Publishers
ISBN 954-642-219-3 (Vol. 4)
First published 2004
All rights reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photo copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the copyright owner.
Pensoft Publishers, Geo Milev str., No. 13a, 1111 Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail: [email protected],
www.pensoft.net
Printed in Bulgaria, December 2004
BAR4 Page v
Contents
SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AND MICROBIAL ABUNDANCE OF MOSS AND
COASTAL HABITATS OF LIVINGSTON ISLAND – ANTARCTICA
A. Kenarova, V. Bogoev..................................................................................................................1
LIPID COMPOSITION AND β-GLUCOSIDASE PRODUCTION FROM
CRYPTOCOCCUS VISHNIACII AL
4
K. Pavlova, M. Zlatanov, G. Angelova, I. Savova.......................................................................9
KERATINASE PRODUCTION OF THERMOPHILIC ACTINOMYCETES
SPECIES FROM ANTRACTICA
A. Gushterova, M. Noustorova, K. Pavlova.............................................................................23
ISOLATION AND TAXONOMIC STUDY OF ANTARCTIC YEASTS FROM
LIVINGSTON ISLAND FOR EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE-PRODUCING
K. Pavlova, A. Gushterova, I. Savova, M. Nustorova..............................................................27
BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF ANTARCTIC YEASTS
K. Pavlova, M. Zlatanov, L. Koleva, I. Pishtiyski......................................................................35
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND SODIUM CHLORIDE ON THE
BIOMASS AND FATTY ACIDS COMPOSITION OF ANTARCTIC
YEAST STRAIN SPOROBOLOMYCES ROSEUS AL
8
L. Koleva, K. Pavlova, M. Zlatanov............................................................................................47
ALKALOIDS FROM THE ANTARCTIC STRAIN MICROBISPORA
AERATA SUBSP. NOV. IMBAS-11A. ISOLATION, SEPARATION AND
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
V. Ivanova, U. Graefe, R. Schlegel, A. Gusterova, K. Aleksieva,
M. Kolarova, R. Tzvetkova...........................................................................................................55
ARRHENIA RETIRUGA (BULL.: FR.) REDHEAD VAR. ANTARCTICA
HORAC – ONE AGARICAL FUNGUS FROM LIVINGSTON ISLAND,
SOUTH SHETLANDS (THE ANTARCTIC)
M. Gyosheva and R. Metcheva.....................................................................................................65
DISTRIBUTION OF FRESHWATER ALGAE ON LIVINGSTON ISLAND,
SOUTH SHETLANDS ISLANDS, ANTARCTICA .II. (CYANOPRO-
KARYOTA)
D. Temniskova-Topalova, R. Zidarova.......................................................................................69
BAR4 Page vi
vi CONTENTS
ADDITIONAL DATA AND SUMMARIZED CHECK-LIST ON THE
RHIZOPODS (RHIZOPODA: AMOEBIDA & TESTACEA) FROM
LIVINGSTON ISLAND, SOUTH SHETLANDS, THE ANTARCTIC
V. Golemansky, M. Todorov........................................................................................................83
REVIEW ON THE FREE-LIVING COPEPODS (CRUSTACEA) FROM THE
REGION OF THE BULGARIAN ANTARCTIC BASE, LIVINGSTON
ISLAND
I. Pandourski, A. Apostolov........................................................................................................95
HEAVY METALS AND TOXIC ELEMENTS CONTENT IN GENTOO
PENGUINS (PYGOSCELIS PAPUA) FEATHERS DURING MOULT
R. Metcheva, L. Yurukova...........................................................................................................101
BLOOD CHEMISTRY STUDIES AND DIFFERENTIAL COUNTING OF
LEUCOCYTES IN GENTOO PENGUINS (PYGOSCELIS PAPUA) IN
RELATION OF MOULTING AND NON-MOULTING STAGES
E. Trakijska, K. Stojanova, R. Metcheva...................................................................................107
GENTOO PENGUIN COLONY ESTIMATES USING DIGITAL PHOTO-
GRAPHY
R. Metcheva, P. Zehtindjev, Y. Yankov......................................................................................115
COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON THE CONTENTS OF CHEMICAL ELE-
MENTS IN SOIL COVER FROM LIVINGSTON ISLAND, ANTARCTICA
M. Sokolovska, J. Bech................................................................................................................123
BAR4 Page 1
© PSEONILS OCFHTA RPAuCbTliEsRhIeSrTsICS AND MICROBIAL ABUNDANCE OF MOSS AND COBAuSlgTaArLia nH AABnItTaArcTtSic . .R.esearc1h
Sofia – Moscow Life Sciences, vol. 4: 1-8, 2004
Soil characteristics and microbial
abundance of moss and coastal habitats of
Livingston Island – Antarctica
A. KENAROVA, V. BOGOEV
Department of Ecology and Nature Protection, Faculty of Biology –
St. Kliment Ohridsky University of Sofia, 8 Dragan Tzankov St., 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria
ABSTRACT
Soil samples from three different types of habitats (moss, moss- ornithogenic and
coastal- ornithogenic) were studied according to their nutrient and microbiological charac-
teristics. The soils tested are relatively well stocked with organic matter but poor in inorganic
nitrogen and phosphorus. The concentration of organic matter is an individual characteris-
tic of the samples but not of the soil groups. The stock of nitrogen and phosphorus is the
chemical characteristic of the soil groups which differ them each other significantly.
The bioligical differences of soil groups are given by their microbiological characteris-
tics, especially the fungal and bacterial biomass as well as the abundance of saprotrophic
bacteria. The abundance of oligotrophic bacteria cannot be assumed as a biological char-
acteristic of soil groups because of the statistically unsignificant difference in the inter
group variance of this parameter.
KEY WORDS
Antarctica, Livingston island, soil habitats, soil microorganisms.
INTRODUCTION
The extreme conditions of Antarctica determine the specific character of soil mi-
crobiota, inhabiting the continental, coastal or island part of the Continent. The seasonal
changes of the climate influence much more the biota of the island and coastal part
than the inner continental one where the soil annualy is freezed and ice covered.
*Grant B. A. 801 / 1998 of National Fund for Scientific Researches of Bulgaria
BAR4 Page 2
2 A. KENAROVA, V. BOGOEV
It is the point of freeze- thaw transitions rather than the temperature itself which
is critical for the onset of microbial activity. Such transitions lead not only to existence
of free water in the environment but also to release of organic substances by the
microorganisms, cryptogamic flora and invertebrates (Collins et al. 1975; Block 1984;
Smith 1984). The turn between winter inactive condition to one of summer microbi-
al activity can be fulfilled within the limits of a day (Wynn-Williams 1980).
At the coastal and island part of Antarctica two basic types of habitats have been
formed in respect of the higher concentrations of organic matter in soil – commu-
nities of mosses in the damper parts and ornithogenic coastal soils.
The rate of organic decomposition is a factor for the existence of the moss
habitat itself (Wynn-Williams 1980, 1988). The balance between growth and decom-
posing of moss determines whether or not on a certain place a peat field or moss
covering will be formed (Davis 1986). In the peat-moss communities there are a
great number of heterotrophic and autotrophic microorganisms (Christie 1987; Davis
1981; Burn 1984; Lister et al. 1987).
The basic source of nitrogen, phosphates and nutrients on the cold oligotrophic soils
is the guano secreted by the penguins. Published data show that despite the great number
of bacteria, less than 8% of the populations are metabolically active even during summer
(Ramsy 1983; Gushterova 1999). The bacteria from the alimentary tract of penguins
probably cannot adapt to low temperatures of the environment and/or are inhibited by
different antibiotic substances like the acrylic acid secreted from some sea phytoplankton,
consumed by Euphansia superba, which serves as food for the penguins (Sieburth 1969).
The subject of this study is to determine the differences between abiotic and
biotic characteristics of the moss, moss-ornithogenic and ornithogenic soils from the
Livingston Island.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Soil samples from Livingston Island were taken in January 2002 from the Bulgar-
ian Antarctic expedition. They were dried in room temperature, then sifted and kept
in sterile paper bags at 4°C. The samples were divided into three groups according to
the type of habitats they were taken from – moss (1), moss- ornitogenic (2) and
coastal- ornitogenic (3).
The pH was measured by pH-meter in water extract – 1g soil:25ml distillated water.
The amount of organic matter was determined after Tyurin’s method based on
oxidation of organic matter by potassium dichromate (Kaurichev 1980).
The concentration of phosphoates and inorganic nitrogen (ammonium and ni-
trate) were determined in a way recommended in “Methods of soil analyses..” (Bak-
er and Norman 1982; Keeney and Nelson 1982).
BAR4 Page 3
SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AND MICROBIAL ABUNDANCE OF MOSS AND COASTAL HABITATS ... 3
The amount of fungal and bacterial biomass was calculated after microscopic
measurement of fungal mycelium length (light microscopy) and bacterial number
counting (epiflourescent microscopy); from the average values of measured param-
eters the amount of fungal and bacterial biomass was calculated (Zviagincev and
Zaiceva 1979; Zviagincev at al. 1978).
Abundance of heterotrophic and oligotrophic bacteria was counted on selective
media- heterotrophs on a tenfold diluted nutrient agar and oligotrophs on a salt agar
amended with 10% soil extract. After inoculation the petri dishes were cultivated at
11-12°C for 7-10 days.
Statistical analyses were processed according to the inner- and inter soil groups’
variations of microbiological and chemical characteristics (Moroney 1969).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The soils from the three habitats (moss, moss-ornithogenic and coastal-ornitho-
genic) are poor in inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus and comparatively well pro-
vided with organic matter (Tabl.1.). Similar data concerning the chemistry of soils
from Livingston Island were also published by Nustorova et al. (2002). The reason
for the low quantities of inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil samples,
compared to the existing organic matter, is most likely the low microbial activity,
inhibited from the unfavourable conditions of the environment.
Of the three soils groups investigated, the best supplied with biogenic elements
are moss-ornithogenic soils and these conditions of the specific environment favor
the better metabolic activity of microorganisms. This question is the subject of a
thorough discussion by many authors (Tearle 1987; Wynn-Williams 1980, 1982; Pugh
et al. 1982; Davis 1986; Christie 1987).
The consideration of statistical analysis find out the existence of difference be-
tween inter- and inner soil group variability of nitrogen, phosphorus and pH values
(Table 2). Although their common characteristic of low level of the inorganic nitro-
gen and phosphorus reserves, soils from the different habitats have group identity in
respect of the average levels of these parameters. The existing inner-group variation
Table 1. Physic- chemical characteristics of the soil groups.
Soil group pH organic NO-N NH-N HPO -P
3 4 4
of habitats matter % mg kg-1 mg kg-1 mg kg-1
moss 6.27 5.22 2.4 16 20
moss-ornitogenic 6.56 12.16 6.4 48 32
coastal-ornitogenic 6.92 9.08 1.7 18 24