Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 63. (Budapest 1971)

Kol, E.: Green snow and ice from the Antarctica

R. N. RÜDMOSE BROWN collected, with the Scottish Natural Expedition (1902 — 04), red and yellow snows in the South Orkneys; the material was worked up by F. E. FRITSCH (1911, 1912). L. GAIN, biologist of the "Deuxième Expedition Antartique Française du Dr. J. CHARCOT (1908 — 10)", ship "Pourquoi Pas?", collected red and green snows on the Islands Peterman, Boothe, Handel, and Wienkes, in the territory of Terre de Graham; the samples were elaborated by N. WILLE and published by GAIN (GAIN, 1911, 1912; WILLE, 1912). GAIN (1912) published several species from WILLE'S identification. The following algae were found (p. 183 — 185) in the green snow collected on the Peterman Island in March, 1909: Chlorella ellipsoidea GERNECK f. antarctica WILLE., Slichococcus bacillaris NÄG., Slichococcus bacillaris var. genuinum KIRCHN., Stichococcus bacillaris var. minor NÄG., Stichococcus bacillaris var. major (NÄGEL) ROTH., Mycacanthococcus antarcticus WILLE., Ulothrix subtilis KG. var. tenerrima (KG.) KIRCHN. f. antarctica WILLE. The algal species found in the green snow of the Wienke Island, March, 1908, were as follows (p. 185 — 187): Ulothrix subtilis KG. var. tenerrima KG. f. antarctica WILLE, Mycacanthococcus cellaris HANSG. f. antarctica WILLE., Mycacanthococcus ovalis WILLE., Pseudotetraspora Gainii WILLE., Raphidonema nivale LAGERH. f. minor WILLE. The algae of the green snow collected in the Boothe-Wandel Islands (p. 189 — 190), in February, 1909, were: Stichococcus bacillaris NÄG.,Chlamydomonas antarcticus WILLE., Pseudotetraspora Gainii WILLE., Pleurococcus vulgaris MENEGH. var. cochaerens WITTR., Mycacanthococcus ovalis WILLE. Recently G. LLANO (1962) observed green snow near the Wilkes Station in the Antarctica. In March, 1964, E. SCHOFIELD gathered green ice in the smallest island of the Balleny Islands, Sabrina ; of the sample E. A. FLINT succeeded to derive pure cultures of the following algal species: Phormidium pristleyi FRITSCH, Chlamydomonas ballenyana KOL, Bracteococcus minor (CHOD.) PETROVÁ var. glaciális FLINT, Ankistrodesmus antarcticus KOL & FLINT, Ellipsoidion perminium PASCHER var. cryophila KOL, Chloridella glaciális KOL, Nitzschia sp. It was FLINT who first succeeded to produce pure cultures of the microorganisms in the green ice of Antarctica (KOL & FLINT, 1968). G. E. FOGG was the first to make biological observations—in situ —on the microorganisms causing the red, green, and yellow snows of the Antarctica. Little was known of the physiology of algae in snow and ice until FOGG (1967) published the results of his preliminary investigations on the snow algae of Signy Island. FOGG (1967, p. 281) found the following microorganisms in the green snow of the South Orkney Islands: Chlamydomonas nivalis, Chlorosphaera antarctica, Raphidonema nivale, Hormidium subtile, Trochiscia antarctica, Chodatella brevispina, Ochromonas (?) sp., and also published their quantitative occurrence. M. HIRANO (1965) and H. FUKUSIMA (1959) also published valuable data on the snows of the Antarctica. As is to be seen, the green cryosestons are widely different in the various regions of the Antarctica; many diverse communities of the mass vegetation of various microorganisms stain green the surface of the cryobiotopes. Green snow was hitherto seen in the Antarctica only at the margins of the continent, or in the neighbouring islands. No mass vegetation was as yet observed on the snow or ice deep in the mainland. The severe snow storms raging frequently in the continent greatly obstruct the settling of the microorganisms and their mass proliferation on the snow fields. At the coastal areas and on the islands the climate is milder, the summer warmer, and the locally thawing snow renders suitable conditions also for the nivicolous microorganisms. Among the cryobiont microorganisms of the cryoseston, the algae of the facultative cryovegetations are also frequently encountered. The community of microorganisms constituting the green cryoseston of the