Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season
ABSTRACT Cryoconite holes (water reservoirs) significantly contribute to biodiversity and biogeochemical processes on glacier surfaces. However, the lack of seasonal observations of cryoconite biota limits our knowledge of glacial ecosystem functioning. We studied photoautotrophs, consumers and sedi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71064 |
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| author | Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská Roberto Ambrosini Dorota Richter Miroslawa Pietryka Przemyslaw Niedzielski Juliana Souza‐Kasprzyk Piotr Klimaszyk Andrea Franzetti Francesca Pittino Lenka Vondrovicová Antonella Senese Krzysztof Zawierucha |
| author_facet | Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská Roberto Ambrosini Dorota Richter Miroslawa Pietryka Przemyslaw Niedzielski Juliana Souza‐Kasprzyk Piotr Klimaszyk Andrea Franzetti Francesca Pittino Lenka Vondrovicová Antonella Senese Krzysztof Zawierucha |
| author_sort | Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Cryoconite holes (water reservoirs) significantly contribute to biodiversity and biogeochemical processes on glacier surfaces. However, the lack of seasonal observations of cryoconite biota limits our knowledge of glacial ecosystem functioning. We studied photoautotrophs, consumers and sediment characteristics (community structure, biomass, elemental composition, organic matter content, δ13C, δ15N) from cryoconite holes in the upper and lower parts of the Forni Glacier ablation zone (Italy) throughout the ablation season. Dominant cyanobacteria were Oscillatoriaceae and Leptolyngbyaceae, while dominant green algae were Zygnemataceae and Chlorellaceae. Tardigrades (Cryobiotus klebelsbergi) were the dominant consumers. The biomass of consumers negatively correlated with the biomass of green algae, indicating that grazing likely controls algal communities in the upper part. Green algae dominated the upper part, while a shift from green algae‐ to cyanobacteria‐dominated communities was observed in the lower part during the season. The increase in δ13C of cryoconite organic matter (OM) in the lower part followed the trend of the community shift of photoautotrophs potentially affected by precipitation. Also, δ13C of tardigrades positively correlated with δ13C of cryoconite OM in the upper part, indicating some cryoconite OM as their food. Some photoautotrophic taxa appeared only on specific dates, and no spatio‐temporal changes in the cryoconite general elemental composition were found. Our data indicate that changes in the community structure and biomass of cryoconite biota on the Forni Glacier likely depend on the interplay between phenology, stochastic events (e.g., rainfall) and top‐down or bottom‐up controls. We demonstrate that multiple observations are essential for understanding the ecology of biota inhabiting cryoconite holes throughout the ablation season. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a41df44a5ddb4a4db9e91a2d0aad06e9 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-a41df44a5ddb4a4db9e91a2d0aad06e92025-08-20T03:14:23ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-03-01153n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71064Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation SeasonTereza Novotná Jaroměřská0Roberto Ambrosini1Dorota Richter2Miroslawa Pietryka3Przemyslaw Niedzielski4Juliana Souza‐Kasprzyk5Piotr Klimaszyk6Andrea Franzetti7Francesca Pittino8Lenka Vondrovicová9Antonella Senese10Krzysztof Zawierucha11Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan ItalyDepartment of Botany and Plant Ecology Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science Wrocław PolandDepartment of Botany and Plant Ecology Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science Wrocław PolandDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań PolandDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań PolandDepartment of Water Protection, Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań PolandDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan ItalyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan ItalyInstitute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan ItalyDepartment of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań PolandABSTRACT Cryoconite holes (water reservoirs) significantly contribute to biodiversity and biogeochemical processes on glacier surfaces. However, the lack of seasonal observations of cryoconite biota limits our knowledge of glacial ecosystem functioning. We studied photoautotrophs, consumers and sediment characteristics (community structure, biomass, elemental composition, organic matter content, δ13C, δ15N) from cryoconite holes in the upper and lower parts of the Forni Glacier ablation zone (Italy) throughout the ablation season. Dominant cyanobacteria were Oscillatoriaceae and Leptolyngbyaceae, while dominant green algae were Zygnemataceae and Chlorellaceae. Tardigrades (Cryobiotus klebelsbergi) were the dominant consumers. The biomass of consumers negatively correlated with the biomass of green algae, indicating that grazing likely controls algal communities in the upper part. Green algae dominated the upper part, while a shift from green algae‐ to cyanobacteria‐dominated communities was observed in the lower part during the season. The increase in δ13C of cryoconite organic matter (OM) in the lower part followed the trend of the community shift of photoautotrophs potentially affected by precipitation. Also, δ13C of tardigrades positively correlated with δ13C of cryoconite OM in the upper part, indicating some cryoconite OM as their food. Some photoautotrophic taxa appeared only on specific dates, and no spatio‐temporal changes in the cryoconite general elemental composition were found. Our data indicate that changes in the community structure and biomass of cryoconite biota on the Forni Glacier likely depend on the interplay between phenology, stochastic events (e.g., rainfall) and top‐down or bottom‐up controls. We demonstrate that multiple observations are essential for understanding the ecology of biota inhabiting cryoconite holes throughout the ablation season.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71064Forni glacierphenologystable isotopessupraglacial habitatsTardigradatop‐down control |
| spellingShingle | Tereza Novotná Jaroměřská Roberto Ambrosini Dorota Richter Miroslawa Pietryka Przemyslaw Niedzielski Juliana Souza‐Kasprzyk Piotr Klimaszyk Andrea Franzetti Francesca Pittino Lenka Vondrovicová Antonella Senese Krzysztof Zawierucha Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season Ecology and Evolution Forni glacier phenology stable isotopes supraglacial habitats Tardigrada top‐down control |
| title | Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season |
| title_full | Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season |
| title_fullStr | Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season |
| title_short | Insights Into Cryoconite Community Dynamics on the Alpine Glacier Throughout the Ablation Season |
| title_sort | insights into cryoconite community dynamics on the alpine glacier throughout the ablation season |
| topic | Forni glacier phenology stable isotopes supraglacial habitats Tardigrada top‐down control |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71064 |
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