New Zealand Terrestrial Antarctic Biocomplexity Survey (nzTABS)

The New Zealand Terrestrial Antarctic Biocomplexity Survey (nzTABS) is the largest and most comprehensive interdisciplinary landscape-scale study of terrestrial biology ever undertaken in Antarctica, incorporating fieldwork of 1500+ person days in 6 of the Dry Valleys (total area of 6500 km2), strategic sampling of over 1200 sites designed to encompass the landscape heterogeneities in the ecosystem, and a range of high-resolution remote sensing data. All samples were collected during the month of January in each sampling year. Initially a 220 km2 study area, consisting of Miers, Marshall, and Garwood Valleys as well as Shangri-La, was divided into more than 600 geographically and geologically distinct ice-free sectors (hereinafter “tiles”) using remote-sensing data and published soil maps. Tile boundaries were delineated where the combination of geographical and geological variables changed, and on-the-ground assessments were carried out in November 2008 to confirm the reliability of delineations. 554 tiles were chosen for sampling to encompass the entire range of geographical and geological heterogeneity. Sampling of soils and biological communities was carried out over two successive austral summers (January 2009 and January 2010). Surveys were conducted for vegetation (i.e., mosses, lichens, algal and cyanobacterial mats), lithic microbial communities, and invertebrates at each sampling site (verified by GPS to be inside its respective tile), followed by collection of bulk soil samples for additional analyses, including molecular analyses of bacteria (total and cyanobacteria-only) and fungi. In addition, a number of key variables were derived from satellite imagery, including surface soil temperature, a topographically derived ‘wetness index’, and distance to the coast. After quality control, data for 490 samples were included in the analysis. These data represent geochemistry and geomorphology to population genetics and microbial ecology parameters. Further details are provided at https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5. Please cite the data with the following citation: Lee, C.K., Laughlin, D.C., Bottos, E.M. et al. Biotic interactions are an unexpected yet critical control on the complexity of an abiotically driven polar ecosystem. Commun Biol 2, 62 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-018-0274-5