Latitudinal Gradient Project - Australian contributions

This record relates to the Australian component of the Latitudinal Gradient Project.   The LGP is largely a New Zealand, US and Italian venture, but a small contribution has been made by Australian scientists.
The Australian component of this work was completed as part of ASAC projects 2361 and 2682 (ASAC_2361, and ASAC_2682).
Data from this project were entered into the herbarium access database, which has been linked to this record.
The list below contains details of where and when samples were collected, and also the type of sample and the method of sampling.
Cape Hallett and vicinity (2000, 2004):  Biodiversity assessment of terrestrial plants (mosses, lichens); Invertebrate collections (mites, Collembola); plant ecology and community analysis; photosynthetic physiology of mosses and lichens; molecular genetics of mosses and lichens.  Random sampling for biodiversity studies; point quadrats, releves for vegetation analysis, field laboratory experiments for physiological studies.
Dry Valleys:  Taylor Valley (1989, 1996), Garwood Valley (2001), Granite Harbour (1989; 1994, 1996) - plant ecology; plant physiology; biodiversity; invertebrate collections; molecular genetics of mosses.  Random sampling for biodiversity studies; point quadrats, releves for vegetation analysis, field laboratory experiments for physiological studies.
Beaufort Island (1996) - plant biodiversity; molecular genetics of mosses. Random sampling for biodiversity studies; point quadrats, releves for vegetation analysis, laboratory studies for molecular genetics.
Darwin Glacier (1994):  plant biodiversity; molecular genetics of invertebrates and mosses (random sampling for biodiversity; laboratory studies of invertebrate and moss molecular genetics).
Project objectives:
1. Investigate the distribution of bryophytes and lichens in continental Antarctica
1a). to test the null hypothesis that species diversity does not change significantly with latitude;
1b). to explore the relationships between species and key environmental attributes including latitude, distance from the coast, temperature, substrate, snow cover, age of ice-free substrate.


To continue to participate in the Ross Sea Sector Latitudinal Gradient Project and develop an Australian corollary in the Prince Charles Mountains, involving international collaborators, incorporating the first two objectives of this project.


To develop an international collaborative biodiversity and ecophysiological program in the Prince Charles Mountains that will provide a parallel N-S latitude gradient study to mirror the LGP program in the Ross Sea region as part of the present RISCC cooperative program (to be superseded by the EBA (Evolution and Biodiversity of Antarctica) program) to address the above objectives. 


Taken from the 2008-2009 Progress Report:
Progress against objectives:
Continuing identification of moss and lichen samples previously collected from Cape Hallett, Granite Harbour and Darwin Glacier region. Lecidea s.l. lichens currently being studied in Austria by PhD student. Field work in Dry Valleys significantly curtailed by adverse weather.
Field work planned for Darwin Glacier region and McMurdo Dry Valleys, particularly Taylor Valley and Granite Harbour region was severely curtailed due to adverse weather, helicopter diversions due to a Medical Evacuation, and other logistic constraints. 10 days of field time were lost. Limitations on field travel in Darwin Glacier region restricted the field work to a biologically depauperate region.
The Prince Charles Mountains N-S transect, the only continental transect possibility for comparison with the Ross Sea area, unfortunately appears to have been abandoned through lack of logistic support. 
Taken from the 2009-2010 Progress Report:
Identification of samples collected from AAT and Ross Sea Region continued during the year, interrupted significantly by the packing of the collection and transfer of specimens to the Tasmanian Herbarium. Work is now proceeding at the Herbarium with sorting, databasing and incorporation of packets into the Herbarium collection. The merging of the collection provides long-term security of curation and significantly boosts the cryptogam collections (35000 numbers) of the Tasmanian Herbarium.

Tags: AMD, AMD/AU, ANTARCTICA, CEOS, CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Cape Hallett, CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Dry Valleys, CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > Victoria Land, DRY VALLEYS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > ARTHROPODS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > ARTHROPODS > CRUSTACEANS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > ARTHROPODS > HEXAPODS > INSECTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > ECHINODERMS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > FISH, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > BACTERIA/ARCHAEA > CYANOBACTERIA (BLUE-GREEN ALGAE), EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > FUNGI > LICHENS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PLANTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PLANTS > MICROALGAE, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PLANTS > MICROALGAE > DIATOMS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PLANTS > MOSSES/HORNWORTS/LIVERWORTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > PROTISTS > DIATOMS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > PLANT SUCCESSION, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > BIOMASS DYNAMICS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > CONSUMPTION RATES, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > DECOMPOSITION, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > NUTRIENT CYCLING, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > PHOTOSYNTHESIS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > PRIMARY PRODUCTION, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS > RESPIRATION RATE, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > DIURNAL MOVEMENT, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > EVOLUTIONARY ADA, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > MUTATION RATES, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > NATURAL SELECTIO, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > POPULATION DYNAM, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > RANGE CHANGES, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > SPECIES COMPETIT, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > SPECIES/POPULATION INTERACTIONS > SURVIVAL RATES, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > PLANKTON, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS > PLANKTON > ZOOPLANKTON, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS > LAKE/POND, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > ALPINE/TUNDRA, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS > DESERTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > CHLOROPHYLL, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > NITROGEN, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > NUTRIENTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > PIGMENTS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > PLANT CHARACTERISTICS, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > VEGETATION COVER, EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > VEGETATION > VEGETATION SPECIES, EBA > Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic, FIELD SURVEYS, GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR, LATITUDINAL GRADIENT PROJECT, LGP > Latitudinal Gradient Project, OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > Ross Sea, ROSS SEA, VICTORIA LAND, VISUAL CENSUS TRANSECTS, VISUAL OBSERVATIONS
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network