2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Expansion of microbial blooming on glaciers induced by abrupt environmental changes
| Project/Area Number |
19H01143
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
|
| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
|---|
| Section | 一般 |
|---|
| Review Section |
Medium-sized Section 63:Environmental analyses and evaluation and related fields
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Chiba University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
|
|---|
| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
植竹 淳 北海道大学, 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター, 准教授 (40455473)
瀬川 高弘 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 講師 (90425835)
米澤 隆弘 広島大学, 統合生命科学研究科(生), 教授 (90508566)
幸島 司郎 京都大学, 野生動物研究センター, 名誉教授 (60183802)
服部 祥平 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 研究員 (70700152)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
|
| Keywords | 氷河 / 雪氷生物 / 藻類 / 生態系 / 積雪 / 栄養塩 / 極限環境 / アルベド |
|---|
| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Recent melt acceleration of glaciers worldwide is caused not only by climate warming but also by microbial surface darkening of snow and ice. We conducted glacier surveys and analyzed snow and ice samples to explore the reason of recent expansion of the microbial blooming on glaciers. We developed a numerical algal growth model that reproduces seasonal algal blooming and simulated successfully the algal blooming in global scale. Pigments and DNA analyses revealed that the pigments in algae vary greatly depending on the species and season, and that functional genes of phototrophs differs significantly in between Asia and the Arctic. We also discovered the presence of chytrid fungus infecting the algae, which also possibly control the algal blooms. Results suggest that the expansion of the microbial blooming is caused not only by changes in the physical and chemical conditions but also by changes in interspecific relationships within the microbial community on the glaciers.
|
| Free Research Field |
雪氷生物学
|
| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究の成果の学術的意義は，まだ限られた情報しかなかった氷河や積雪に生息する低温環境に適応した多様な微生物の生態，およびそれらの微生物が雪氷表面を暗色化させる効果を明らかにしたことである．具体的には，雪氷微生物の繁殖域の拡大過程を初めて定量的に示したこと，微生物の地理的な分布の違いを示したこと，未知の雪氷微生物の種間関係の存在を初めて明らかにしたことである．これらの成果は，生物と環境の相互作用の理解，地球温暖化で注目される雪氷圏変動の将来予測の精緻化とともに氷河融解を抑制するバイオ=ジオエンジニアリングの確立に資するものである．
|
