2003-2004 USAP Field Season

Biology & Medicine

Dr. Polly Penhale Program Manager

B-423-M	NSF/OPP 98-10219
Station: McMurdo Station
RPSC POC: Jessie Crain
Research Site(s): McMurdo Station, Taylor Valley, Dry Valleys
Dates in Antarctica: Instruments operate year-round, early December to early February (project team deploys)

McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research (LTER): The role of natural legacy on ecosystem structure and function in a polar desert

	Dr. Ross A. Virginia Dartmouth College Environmental Studies Program ross.a.virginia@dartmouth.edu http://huey.Colorado.EDU/LTER/

The Role of Natural Legacy on Ecosystem Structure and Function in a Polar Desert: The McMurdo Dry Valley Long Term Ecological Research Program

Deploying Team Members:

Kathleen Catapano . Michael Poage . Rebekka M. Stucker . Ross A. Virginia

Research Objectives: This project is one of two soil productivity components of McMurdo LTER. This season the group will focus on: + The influence of climate and edaphic factors on carbon and nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems of the Antarctic Dry Valleys. + The influence of climate and soil chemistry on the distribution and abundance of soil biodiversity in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. + Understanding the linkages between soil biological communities and underlying ecosystem functioning. + Evaluating the influence of changes in climate on terrestrial ecosystems and invertebrate communities.