Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/02/2013 - 17:55
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Soil Ecology in Antarctic Dry Valleys

How do micro organisms survive? Where do they get nutrients

By: Alan Hagerman

Wed, 12/04/2013 - 13:30

Justin Kendhammer

Hi Alan,It is not a surprise that you have asked one of the most basic and interesting questions yet. So, bacteria are able to carry out cell division as way to repopulate. The interesting part, for me anyhow, it that some bacteria are known to live for very short periods of time, a few days, while others are able to go into dormant periods and continue to live for hundreds of years, amazing! The microorganisms in Antarctica are believed to be very long lived but we are not sure about exact numbers yet.Another interesting thing about these and organisms is their ability to use such a wide range of food sources. They can feed on almost anything. Where plants are present they will often get their carbon from dead and decaying plant matter. They can also use nutrients from the roots of plants. In the Dry Valleys the main source of nutrients is believed to be the algae mats that thrive in the summers and die when it it gets too cold. They are then carried away from the streams and lakes and redistributed throughout the continent and possibly beyond.  Remember that like all living things, microorganisms need water and oxygen to carry out cellular functions. So it is safe to say that when the soil is frozen activity is frozen along with it. I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks.JK