Virtual Posters

Soil samples from West Spitsbergen coast gathered by Negoita were analysed from microbial, chemical and enzymatic points of view. Investigations in upper soil horizons, carried out for 5 locations in Grøndalen, Bjørndalen and Colesbukta areas on sandy and clayey-sandy soils shown that one of the soils in Grøndalen was very little developed, having 28x103 colony forming units (cfu) g-1 dried soil, and four soils were more developed, with 51-2336x103 (cfu)g-1d.w. Heterotrophic, aerobic, non-sporogenous and Gram-negative bacteria are typical for the rhizosphere. Micromycetes were very scarce.(Table 1). Soil respiration and cellulolytic potentials were similar to those found in acid and cold soils of Romania (temperate climate). The five soils were tested from the enzymic point of view for: catalase, saccharase, urease and total phosphatase potentials. Chemical analyses shown some soils having in the top layer a very high content of organic matter(2.15-5.63 Ct%) and other soils with some lower quantities (0.75-0.82 Ct%). A similar situation was found for the total nitrogen content (Nt%).

Analysis of other 6 soil samples of wetland from Gypshuksletta and Gypsdalen areas in WestSpitsbergen shown almost neutral values of pH (7.03-7.49). The highest metabolic activity occurred on oligothophic marsh (sample7) and marine terrace (sample 1) and diabasic terrase with Arctic Salix and reticulate Salix (sample3). 26 heterotrophic bacterial strains were isolated to be further studied for protease production. A variety of fungal microflora was found, with total cfu values of 2.2-3.8 x103 g-1 d.w. Of the strains identified, only a few are specific to freezing conditions, others have a greater tolerance, having been also found under conditions of temperatures higher than 0°C. Other strains do not stand temperatures below 0°C. (Table2). The level of soil respiration, as global indicator of microbiological activities of the soil, and the total microbial biomass, are also low.