The bacterial and microeukaryotic biodiversity were studied using pyrosequencing analysis on a 454 GS FLX+ platform of partial SSU rRNA genes in terrestrial and aquatic habitats of the Sør Rondane Mountains, including soils, on mosses, endolithic communities, cryoconite holes and supraglacial and subglacial meltwater lenses. This inventory was complemented with Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis targeting Chlorophyta and Cyanobacteria. OTUs belonging to the Rotifera, Chlorophyta, Tardigrada, Ciliophora, Cercozoa, Fungi, Bryophyta, Bacillariophyta, Collembola and Nematoda were present with a relative abundance of at least 0.1% in the eukaryotic communities. Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, FBP and Actinobacteria were the most abundant bacterial phyla. Multivariate analyses of the pyrosequencing data revealed a general lack of differentiation of both eukaryotes and prokaryotes according to habitat type. However, the bacterial community structure in the aquatic habitats was dominated by the filamentous cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya and appeared to be significantly different compared with those in dry soils, on mosses, and in endolithic habitats. A striking feature in all datasets was the detection of a relatively large amount of sequences new to science, which underscores the need for additional biodiversity assessments in Antarctic inland locations.

Botanic Garden Meise Department Bryophytes Thallophytes Nieuwelaan 38 B 1860 Meise Belgium Federation Wallonia Brussels General Administration of the Non Compulsory Education and Scientific Research Rue A Lavallée 1 1080 Brussels Belgium

Centre for Polar Ecology Faculty of Sciences University of South Bohemia Institute of Botany Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Dukelská 135 379 82 Třeboň Czech republic

Centre for Protein Engineering Institute of Chemistry Université de Liège Sart TilmanB6 B 4000 Liège Belgium

Centre for Protein Engineering Institute of Chemistry Université de Liège Sart TilmanB6 B 4000 Liège Belgium Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology RAS Pr t 60 letya Oktyabrya 7 2 Moscow 117312 Russia NRC Kurchatov Institute Akademika Kurchatova pl 1 Moscow 12 31 82 Russia

Laboratory for Microbiology Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Ghent University K L Ledeganckstraat 35 9000 Gent Belgium

Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology Department of Biology Ghent University Krijgslaan 281 S8 B 9000 Ghent Belgium

Laboratory of Protistology and Aquatic Ecology Department of Biology Ghent University Krijgslaan 281 S8 B 9000 Ghent Belgium Operational Directorate Natural Environment Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Vautierstraat 29 1000 Brussels Belgium

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