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Lichen photobiont diversity and selectivity at the southern limit of the maritime Antarctic region (Coal Nunatak, Alexander Island)

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Abstract

Antarctic ice-free inland sites provide a unique perspective on the strategies coevolving organisms have developed for survival at the limits of life. Here, we provide the first combined description of the ecological and genetic diversity of lichen photobionts colonising an isolated Antarctic inland site, Coal Nunatak, on south-east Alexander Island (Antarctic Peninsula). Photobionts of 14 lichen species (42 samples), all belonging to the group of coccal green algae, representing the entire lichen community of Coal Nunatak were investigated using the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. The study attempted to address the hypothesis that mycobiont selectivity for the photobiont partner is lower in more extreme environments. This hypothesis did not appear to hold true for the entire lichen community except one species. Another aspect focuses on the relevance of the reproduction modus concerning the distribution of photobiont haplotypes in the lichen community.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the British Antarctic Survey for logistic support allowing access to the study sites on Alexander Island and its staff at Rothera Research Station for their support. We are especially thankful to the BAS field assistants Neil Stevenson and Robin Jarvis for their kind and invaluable technical support in the field. Thanks are due to Nora Wirtz, Dag Øvstedal and Hannes Hertel for determination of the lichen species. This project was funded by a Grant of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) to SO (Ot96/10-1/2) as part of the priority program SPP 1158 and the Duesseldorf Enterpreneurs Foundation. PC is supported by NERC core funding to the BAS Ecosystems programme. This paper also forms an output of the SCAR AntEco and AnT-ERA scientific programmes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Botany, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

    Andreas Engelen & Sieglinde Ott

  2. British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, England, UK

    Peter Convey

  3. Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstr. 1, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany

    Ovidiu Popa

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  1. Andreas Engelen
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  2. Peter Convey
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  3. Ovidiu Popa
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  4. Sieglinde Ott
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Correspondence to Sieglinde Ott.

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Engelen, A., Convey, P., Popa, O. et al. Lichen photobiont diversity and selectivity at the southern limit of the maritime Antarctic region (Coal Nunatak, Alexander Island). Polar Biol 39, 2403–2410 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1915-0

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