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Determinants of terrestrial arthropod community composition at Cape Hallett, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2006

Brent J. Sinclair ,
Matthew B. Scott ,
C. Jaco Klok ,
John S. Terblanche ,
David J. Marshall ,
Belinda Reyers  and
Steven L. Chown
Brent J. Sinclair
Affiliation:
Spatial, Physiological and Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004, USA [email protected]
Matthew B. Scott
Affiliation:
Botany Department, University of Otago, New Zealand
C. Jaco Klok
Affiliation:
Spatial, Physiological and Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Present address: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
John S. Terblanche
Affiliation:
Spatial, Physiological and Conservation Ecology Group, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
David J. Marshall
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE 1410, Negara Brunei Darussalam
Belinda Reyers
Affiliation:
CSIR Environmentek, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Steven L. Chown
Affiliation:
Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Abstract

The distribution and abundance of free-living arthropods from soil and under stones were surveyed at the Cape Hallett ice-free area (ASPA No. 106), North Victoria Land, Antarctica. A total of 327 samples from 67 plots yielded 11 species of arthropods comprised of three Collembola: Cryptopygus cisantarcticus, Friesea grisea and Isotoma klovstadi and eight mites: Coccorhagidia gressitti, Eupodes wisei, Maudheimia petronia, Nanorchestes sp., Stereotydeus belli, S. punctatus, Tydeus setsukoae and T. wadei. Arthropods were absent from areas occupied by the large Adélie penguin colony. There was some distinction among arthropod communities of different habitats, with water and a lichen species (indicative of scree slope habitats) ranking as significant community predictors alongside spatial variables in a Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Recent changes to the management plan for ASPA No. 106 may need to be revisited as the recommended campsite is close to the area of greatest arthropod diversity.

Keywords

AcariAntarctic Specially Protected AreaCollembolamitesspatial distributionspringtails
Type
LIFE SCIENCES
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 303 - 312
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 2006

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