A microbiological characterization of the permafrost soil of Tit-Ary Island (Yakutia)

The microbiological composition of the soil of the unique Tit-Ary Island in the lower reaches of the Lena River has been studied in detail for the first time. The specific features of the microbial population of the cryosolic soil have been revealed, including a high number of individuals of all microbial groups (10 4 –10 8 CFU/g), comparable to the density of microorganisms in the steppe soil of Transbaikalia, and the specific pattern of their distribution in the soil profile without a decrease in their count with depth. Oligonitrophilic bacteria were prevalent in the humic gley soil of polygonal ridged tundra; their number varied from 70 × 10 3 to 330 × 10 6 CFU/g soil.