INTRODUCTION: Biological soil crusts, found in arid and semi-arid areas worldwide, play a crucial role in the carbon cycle. This study analyzed biocrusts from three different altitudes in Svalbard (High Arctic) in 2022-2024. METHODS AND RESULTS: Monitoring of microclimatic parameters, including irradiance, humidity, air, and soil temperature, revealed unexpected extremes at the lowest elevation site. Molecular methods were used to determine the diversity of microalgae, revealing the presence of Trebouxiophyceae and Chlorophyceae as the dominant eukaryotic algal groups. Among the cyanobacteria, the dominant taxonomical groups were Nostocales, Pseudanabaenales, and Oscillatoriales. Measured photosynthetic activity was largely driven by irradiance across the different seasons and locations. Higher maximum quantum yield (FV/FM) values (approximately 0.6) were measured at lower irradiance levels (< 100 μmol m-2 s-1). Photosynthetic activity was observed in early October 2022, and diurnal changes were even noticeable at subzero temperatures in late October 2023, with the low irradiance curve being mirrored by the development of FV/FM. Furthermore, thawed biocrusts in winter exhibited the ability to rapidly restore photosynthetic activity, which was also supported by the expression of photosynthesis-related genes. Metatranscriptomic analysis revealed that the differential gene expression observed for the D1, RbcS, Ohp1, and ELIP proteins suggests that light stress-induced photoinhibition plays a major role in biocrusts, particularly in winter. CONCLUSION: The biocrusts can remain active for extended periods and provide carbon fixation during times when tundra plants primarily engage in respiration, making them very important for the polar environment.

Centre for Biology Geosciences and the Environment Faculty of Education University of West Bohemia Pilsen Czechia

Centre for Polar Ecology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czechia

Department of Ecology Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czechia

Department of Phycology Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Trebon Czechia

Institute for Plant Sciences Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences University of Cologne Cologne Germany

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