Long-term dynamics of the community of soil algae in the vicinity of Syowa Station

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00520
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental dynamic analysis
• Research Institution: Shimane University
• Principal Investigator: Ohtani Shuji 島根大学, 学術研究院教育学系, 教授 (50185295)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 林 昌平 島根大学, 学術研究院環境システム科学系, 助教 (20725593)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 南極 / 土壌藻類 / 培養株 / 形態分類 / 遺伝子解析 / 長期動態 / 昭和基地

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have preserved strains of cyanobacteria, yellow-green algae and green algae in a 9-year environmental montoring from around the Syowa Station, Antarctica. Many of these strains were difficult to classify based on their morphology and remained identified at the genus level. Since the increase in the classification up to the species will increase the accuracy of the algal community, for the past three years, we have tried to identify the species by morphological taxonomic study and gene phylogenetic analyses for strains at the genus level. Especially for yellow-green algae, since many similar species are difficult to classify, intensive research was conducted. Even when it was difficult to distinguish by morphology, it was clarified that the species could be determined or it was an undescribed species by combining it with the results of gene analysis.

Free Research Field

微細藻類の分類・生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

南極での土壌環境監視を目的とした土壌藻類の９年間にわたる計8定点での長期モニタリングは，我々の知る限りでは申請者らの研究以外に実施されていない。保存した藍藻，黄緑藻，緑藻の培養株について形態分類と遺伝子解析の研究で、種を確定できたり、未記載種を明らかにすることができた。
本研究3年間の分類学的研究の成果を9年間の長期データと照合することで、今まで以上に昭和基地周辺の土壌藻類群集構造の変化を明瞭にとらえることができ、土壌環境による種組成の違い、同じ地点に継続して出現する種、年変動が大きい種、生物指標種が明らかとなった。