Antarctic Terrestrial Biology

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Antarctic Research Series, Volume 20.

These 13 original papers on terrestrial biological research initiate a companion to Biology of the Antarctic Seas, which now comprises four volumes of the Antarctic Research Series. The articles in this volume range in subject matter from the limnology, physiology, and ecology of aquatic systems to the taxonomy of fresh-water algae, lichens, mosses, fungi, protozoa, and land arthropods of Antarctica. It concludes appropriately, and for reasons stated below, with a paper on subantarctic rain forests.

This terrestrial volume brings together research papers that are less suitable for publication under existing Antarctic Research Series volumes and, as a consequence, reveals another dimension of the U.S. effort in antarctic biological research. Although the volume includes systematic and ecologic papers, the longer reports point to changes in the design and completion of field biological work. These changes are exemplified by greater use of increasingly sophisticated instrumentation and by emphasis on in situ experimental studies. This transition began as early as 1961-1962 when Goldman, Mason, and Wood, and also Koob and Leister, began their field work. To some extent, the rationale and methodology of these two groups stimulated the 1970 studies by Parker and his associates. Much of biological research involves graduate research assistants, and seven of these papers represent, in part or in whole, their contributions presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for higher degrees.