Note: Intro -- Contents -- 1 Introduction -- Abstract -- 1.1…Antarctic Terrestrial 'Soil' as a Microbial Habitat -- 1.2…Microbial Diversity, Functionality, and Capacity -- 1.3…Adapting to the Antarctic Soil Environment -- 1.4…Threats and Impacts -- 1.5…The Way Forward -- References -- 2 Bacterial Community Structures of Antarctic Soils -- Abstract -- 2.1…Introduction -- 2.2…Continental Distribution of Antarctic Soils -- 2.3…Bacterial Communities of Antarctic Soils -- 2.3.1 Antarctic Peninsula -- 2.3.2 West Antarctica -- 2.3.3 Victoria Land -- 2.3.4 Desert Soils -- 2.3.5 Coastal and Ornithogenic Soils -- 2.3.6 Geothermal Soils -- 2.3.7 East Antarctica -- 2.3.8 Transantarctic Mountains -- 2.4…Exogenous Factors and Inputs -- 2.5…Temporal Variation in Bacterial Communities -- 2.6…Conclusions -- References -- 3 Fungal Diversity in Antarctic Soils -- Abstract -- 3.1…Introduction -- 3.1.1 Methods for Identification and Detection -- 3.1.2 Cosmopolitan Versus Endemic -- 3.1.3 Temperature Requirements -- 3.1.4 Limiting Soil Factors -- 3.2…Fungi in the Fossil Record and Glacial Ice -- 3.3…Specific Taxa and Genera -- 3.4…Fungi on the Antarctic Peninsula -- 3.5…Fungi on Ross Island -- 3.6…Fungi on the Antartic Continent -- 3.7…Conclusions -- A.1. Appendix: Putative Antarctic Fungal Endemics -- References -- 4 Invertebrates -- Abstract -- 4.1…Introduction -- 4.2…The Macroinvertebrate Fauna -- 4.3…The Microinvertebrate Fauna -- 4.4…Ecology -- 4.5…Physiology -- 4.6…Origins/Phylogeny -- 4.7…The Future -- 5 What Do We Know About Viruses in Terrestrial Antarctica? -- Abstract -- 5.1…Introduction -- 5.2…Animal Viruses -- 5.3…Plant Viruses (Except Cyanobacteria and Algae) -- 5.4…Viruses in Soils -- 5.5…Relevance of Viruses in Lakes to Terrestrial Ecology -- 5.6…Dispersal of Viruses -- 5.7…Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References. , 6 Microbiology of Eutrophic (Ornithogenic and Hydrocarbon-Contaminated) Soil -- Abstract -- 6.1…Introduction -- 6.2…Ornithogenic Soils -- 6.2.1 Microbial Communities -- 6.2.1.1 Photosynthetic Microbes -- 6.2.1.2 Heterotrophic Bacteria -- 6.2.2 Fungi -- 6.2.2.1 Invertebrate Communities -- 6.3…Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils -- 6.3.1 Microbial Communities -- 6.3.1.1 Heterotrophic Bacteria -- 6.3.1.2 Fungi -- 6.4…Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 7 Fell-Field Soil Microbiology -- Abstract -- 7.1…The Fell-Field Environment -- 7.2…Bacteria -- 7.2.1 Influencing Factors -- 7.2.2 Community Composition -- 7.2.3 Diversity -- 7.3…Fungi -- 7.3.1 Influencing Factors -- 7.3.2 Community Composition -- 7.4…Biogeochemical Cycles -- 7.4.1 Nitrogen Cycle -- 7.4.2 Carbon Cycling -- 7.5…Conclusion -- References -- 8 Biological Soil Crusts -- Abstract -- 8.1…Introduction -- 8.2…Biogeography -- 8.2.1 Dronning Maud Land -- 8.2.2 Wilkes Land (Windmill Islands) -- 8.2.3 Victoria Land -- 8.3…Structure and Composition of Antarctic Biological Soil Crusts -- 8.3.1 Cyanobacterial BSC -- 8.3.2 Green Algal BSC -- 8.3.3 Bryophyte--Cyanobacteria BSC -- 8.3.4 Bryophyte--lichen BSC -- 8.3.5 Lichen--Green Algal BSC -- 8.4…Conclusions -- References -- 9 Lithobionts: Cryptic and Refuge Niches -- Abstract -- 9.1…Introduction -- 9.2…Lithobiontic Ecological Niche -- 9.2.1 Epiliths -- 9.2.2 Endoliths -- 9.2.3 Hypoliths -- 9.3…Establishment of Lithobiontic Communities -- 9.3.1 Temperature -- 9.3.2 Water Availability -- 9.3.3 Light Availability -- 9.4…Microbiology of Lithobionts -- 9.4.1 Epilith Diversity -- 9.4.2 Endolith Diversity -- 9.4.3 Hypolith Diversity -- 9.5…The Role of Lithobionts in Depauperate Environs -- 9.6…Concluding Remarks -- 9.7…Acknowledgements -- References -- 10 Microbial Ecology of Geothermal Habitats in Antarctica -- Abstract -- 10.1…Introduction. , 10.2…Antarctic Volcanoes and Associated Geothermal Habitats -- 10.2.1 High-Elevation Geothermal Habitats of Victoria Land -- 10.2.1.1 Mt. Erebus -- 10.2.1.2 Mt. Melbourne -- 10.2.1.3 Mt. Rittmann -- 10.2.2 Low-Elevation Geothermal Habitat of Deception Island -- 10.3…Life in Antarctic Geothermal Habitats -- 10.3.1 Eukaryotes -- 10.3.1.1 Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts) -- 10.3.1.2 Algae -- 10.3.1.3 Fungi -- 10.3.1.4 Lichens -- 10.3.1.5 Protozoa -- 10.3.2 Prokaryotes -- 10.3.2.1 Cyanobacteria -- 10.3.2.2 Proteobacteria -- 10.3.2.3 Firmicutes -- 10.3.2.4 Actinobacteria -- 10.4…Molecular Research -- 10.5…Summary -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 11 Microbial Life in Antarctic Permafrost Environments -- Abstract -- 11.1…Introduction -- 11.1.1 Antarctic Permafrost Environments -- 11.1.2 Habitability of Permafrost Environments -- 11.1.3 Molecular Microbial Diversity -- 11.1.4 Culturable Microbial Diversity -- 11.2…Microbial Activity -- 11.3…Adaptation to Permafrost -- 11.4…Ancient Life in the Subsurface -- 11.5…Astrobiology Implications of Antarctic Permafrost -- 11.6…Conclusion -- References -- 12 Primary Production and Links to Carbon Cycling in Antarctic Soils -- Abstract -- 12.1…Introduction -- 12.2…Biogeographic Zones -- 12.2.1 Sub-Antarctic -- 12.2.2 Maritime Antarctica -- 12.2.3 Continental Antarctica -- 12.3…Biochemistry of Primary Production -- 12.4…In Situ Primary Production -- 12.5…Temporal Subsidies -- 12.6…Spatial Subsidies -- 12.7…Aboveground--Belowground Linkages -- 12.8…Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 13 Climate Change and Microbial Populations -- Abstract -- 13.1…Introduction -- 13.2…Direct Influence on Microbes -- 13.2.1 Temperature -- 13.2.2 Water -- 13.3…Indirect Influence on Microbes -- 13.3.1 Plants -- 13.3.2 Birds -- 13.3.3 Other Soil Organisms -- 13.4…Observed Microbial Shifts. , 13.4.1 Field Experimental Manipulation -- 13.4.2 Laboratory Experimental Manipulation -- 13.5…Conclusions -- References -- 14 Threats to Soil Communities: Human Impacts -- Abstract -- 14.1…Introduction -- 14.2…Present Legislation on Environmental Protection in Antarctica -- 14.3…Physical and Chemical Impacts -- 14.4…Non-indigenous Species -- 14.5…Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 15 Antarctic Climate and Soils -- Abstract -- 15.1…Climate of Antarctica -- 15.2…Boundary Layer Climate -- 15.3…Soil Climate Monitoring -- 15.4…Climate of the MDV -- 15.5…Soil Climate and Global Change -- References -- 16 Antarctic Soil Properties and Soilscapes -- Abstract -- 16.1…Background -- 16.2…Properties of Antarctic Soils -- 16.2.1 Physical Properties -- 16.2.2 Chemical Properties -- 16.2.3 Chemical Weathering and Mineral Alteration -- 16.3…The Classification of Soils in Antarctica -- 16.4…Soilscapes of Antarctica -- Acknowledgments -- References -- 17 Origins of Antarctic Soils -- Abstract -- 17.1…Introduction -- 17.2…The East Antarctic Shield -- 17.3…The Trans-Antarctic Mountains -- 17.3.1 The Ross Orogen: The Palaeo-Pacific Margin of Gondwana -- 17.3.2 Gondwana Cover Sequences: A Stable Continent -- 17.4…West Antarctica: A Collage of Crustal Blocks -- 17.4.1 Haag Nunataks: Part of the East Antarctic Shield -- 17.4.2 Ellsworth Whitmore Mountains: A Displaced Fragment of the Gondwanian Fold Belt -- 17.4.3 Thurston Island: Pacific Margin Magmatic Arc -- 17.4.4 Marie Byrd Land: Pacific Margin Magmatic Arc -- 17.4.5 The Antarctic Peninsula: Long-Lived Andean-Type Margin -- 17.5…Gondwana Break-up: The Isolation of Antarctica -- 17.5.1 The West Antarctic Rift System -- 17.6…Antarctic Climate History: The Past 100 Million Years -- References.