Tardigrades of Alaska: distribution patterns, diversity and species richness

Polar research

William R. Miller¹  Byron J. Adams²  Erika Boreliz-Alvarado³  Carl Johansson⁴  Eric T. Linder⁵ 

[1] Department of BiologyBaker University, Baldwin City, KS 66006, USA;Department of BiologyBrigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA;Department of BiologyFresno City College, Fresno, CA 93741, USA;Department of BiologyFresno City College, Fresno, CA 93741, USACorrespondence;Department of ZoologyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA

关键词: Tardigrade;    Alaska;    distribution;    latitudinal gradient;    pH;    species richness;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v32i0.18793

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

During the summer of 2010, a biotic survey of tardigrades was conducted along a latitudinal transect in central Alaska from the Kenai Peninsula, via Fairbanks and the Arctic Circle to the coastal plain. Work was centred at the Toolik and Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research Network sites and supplemented by opportunistic collections from the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage areas. The 235 samples collected at 20 sites over 10 degrees of latitude yielded 1463 tardigrades representing two classes, three orders, 10 families, 23 genera and 73 species from 142 positive samples. A total of 50 species are new to Alaska, increasing the state's known species richness to 84. Several environmental metrics, such as pH, substrate, elevation, location and habitat were measured, recorded and analysed along the latitudinal gradient. Contrary to expectations, pH did not appear to be a predictor of tardigrade abundance or distribution. Density and species richness were relatively consistent across sites. However, the a...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC