Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 55. (Budapest 1963)
Kol, E.: On the red snow of Finse (Norway)
156 E. KOL Fig. 1 : Pink snow around Finse (1300 m. a. s. 1.) (No. 15). — 1 =10 ° 0; 2=20 %; 3 = 50 %, 4 = 8%; 5 = 3%; 6=4%; 7=5%. — As indicated by the above algal diagramm, Irochiscia cryophila var. rubra dominates in this pink snow, constituting half of the entire microvegetation, followed by 30 % of Chlamy domo nan nivalis, while all other snow-inhabiting microorganism are represented by a total of 20 per cent. Fig. JI: Red snow around Hardangerjökelen (No. 20). — 1 = 90%; 8 = 5%; 0 =2%; 7=3 %. — As is to be seen from diagram II, the cryovegetation of this red snow is composed of 90 % of the sphaerical, vegetative cells of various sizes of Chlamydomonas nivalis, aside of the 10% of all other microorganisms. Fig. Ill : Red snow at the railway station of Finse (1220 in) (No. 22). — 5 = 95 % ; 8 = 1 %; 7=3%. — The Chlamydomonas sanguinea red snow was first described by L AGERHEIM from the snow of the Pichincha in South America. K OL (1961) listed it from the snow of the Alps, and now it was found in another European locality. According to our present knowledge, the red snow caused by this Chlamydomonas species is among the rarest occurences in nature, The frequentest red snow on Earth is that caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis. The red, that is, pink snow caused by Trochiscia cryophila var. rubra was found now for the first time. I = Chlamydomonas nivalis W ILLE , sphaerical vegetative cells; 2 = Chlamydomonas nivalis W ILLE , zygote; 3 = Trochiscia cryophila CHOD. var. rubra n. var.; \ — Scotiella norvegica n. sp. ; Ö — Chlamydomonas sanguinea LAGERH. ; (J = Chionaster nivalis (B OHL .) W ILLE — Chionaster bicornis K OL ; 7 other microorganisms; it = Scotiella nivalis (CHOD.) FRITSCH. The microorganisms of the red snow around Finse The microorganisms occurring in the red snows are tabulated in the following lists, showing also the quantitative occurrences of the given microorganism in the several snow samples. There were found 8 algal and 3 snow-inhabiting fungoid organisms in these samples, all of them being true cryobionts, except for Mesotaenium bcrggrenii , occurring mainly in ice but present also on snow surfaces in the vicinity of ice. As witnessed by the table, Chlamydomonas nivalis (in different developmental stages) was present in the greatest masses in nearly all snow samples, followed by the mass occurrence (though in a single sample only) of Chlamydomonas sanguinea, and, in a lesser quantity yet still in considerable amounts in one of the snow samples, of Trochiscia cryophila var. rubra. All other microorganisms were found in smaller quantities only, in one or the other snow sample. Scotiella nivalis and C.hionaster nivalis were present in every sample. Aside of the microorganisms mentioned above, the snow samples contained cryoconite and some fragments pf plants. The cells of Chlamydomonas nivalis often bear the parasitic fungus Chytridium clilamydococcii , a frequent attendant of this algal species.
