Subglacial ecosystems at the interface of glacial ice and the bedrock and/or underlying sediment represent one of the major ecosystems associated with glaciers and ice sheets, and they contain considerable amounts of organic matter overridden during periods of ice advance. However, our knowledge of biogeochemical and biological processes beneath glacial ice and their changes associated with glacial melting is far from complete, and many questions remain unanswered. The aim of this thesis is to review the current state of knowledge of the microbial communities and their role in carbon cycling in subglacial ecosystems and to find suitable better known ecosystems that could serve as analogues to subglacial systems and so help focus future research questions.
Předběžná náplň práce v anglickém jazyce
Subglacial ecosystems at the interface of glacial ice and the bedrock and/or underlying sediment represent one of the major ecosystems associated with glaciers and ice sheets, and they contain considerable amounts of organic matter overridden during periods of ice advance. However, our knowledge of biogeochemical and biological processes beneath glacial ice and their changes associated with glacial melting is far from complete, and many questions remain unanswered. The aim of this thesis is to review the current state of knowledge of the microbial communities and their role in carbon cycling in subglacial ecosystems and to find suitable better known ecosystems that could serve as analogues to subglacial systems and so help focus future research questions.
- zadáno vedoucím/školitelem