Microbial community development during the glacial-proglacial ecosystem transition, RiS ID 10645

Glacial ice is rapidly disappearing and, as glaciers are not in balance with the current climate, the shrinkage will continue even without further temperature rise. As a result, new habitats exposed by glacial retreat (called 'proglacial') are rising in both number and size. These habitats are colonized by microbes of various sources and, thus, potentially distinct metabolic activities and a community structures. In order to obtain a better insight into the process of glacial-to-proglacial ecosystem transition, we will sample proglacial soil, freshly exposed subglacial sediment and supraglacial debris at the glacier surface at several glaciers in Svalbard. Microbial community structure of each of the ecosystems will be analysed and the samples will be used for laboratory experiments designed to simulate the transition process.