ИСТИНА

Detailed soil investigations in Antarctica are concentrated mainly on soil genesis, development of relatively precise soil maps and molecular-genetic analysis of microbial components in such soils. Molecular-genetic methods showed the diversity of bacteria in Antarctic soils, but these results don’t reveal biological activity, physiological status and stability of microbes in external environment. A combination of culture-depended and independent techniques was used to characterize bacteria community in earlier not investigated soils in East Antarctic Coast. The samples of soils and barren rock with endolithic soil-like bodies were taken from the inter-hill wet valleys area (oasisis) in East Antarctica). The bottoms of inter-hill valleys show maximum biota concentration and highest bio- and soil diversity. Moss, lichen and algae ground covers are formed here, as well as algal-bacterial mats and microorganisms develop various soil profiles in sandy granitoid sediments. The main feature of these soils is that they are formed under the protection of a gravel pavement, or detritus. Under such "armor» the effect of wind is decreased, the moisture is better preserved, as well as the proportion of direct light with aggressive UV component is reduced.