Physical Controls on the Taylor Valley Ecosystem, Antarctica

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Abstract
© 1999 American Institute of Biological Sciences.Most of Antarctica is covered by ice that may exceed 3000 m in depth, but some areas of the continent are ice free. The McMurdo Dry Valleys, at 76°30′−78°30′ S, 160–164° E, form the largest (approximately 4800 km2) of the ice-free areas. This location has also been a US National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site since 1993. The dry valleys are among the most extreme deserts on the planet, far colder and drier than deserts elsewhere. Mean annual temperatures in Taylor Valley (primary location of the McMurdo LTER) range from −16 °C to −21 °C, and precipitation is less than 10 cm annually. The dry valleys contain perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams, glaciers, and extensive areas of both soils and exposed bedrock. Despite these extreme climatic conditions, biological communities exist in the lakes, streams, and soils. These communities...