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Carrion decomposition has a significant impact on soil chemical profiles. However, soil nutrient research associated with animal carcasses in Antarctica has been relatively scarce, and the effect of penguin carrion decomposition on soil chemical composition is largely unknown. We aimed to determine Antarctica's soil chemistry profiles associated with penguin carrion. Soil samples were collected from a penguin rookery near King Sejong Station, Barton Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica. Dry combustion methods were used to identify soil nitrogen and sulfur, while ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate were determined colorimetrically using a spectrophotometer. In addition, total carbon, pH, electrical conductivity, soil moisture, and soil porosity were also determined. Overall, soil chemical properties were not significantly different between the stages of decomposition and the sampling locations. These findings suggest that nutrients from penguin carrion disperse and leach in limited quantities into the soil, probably due to the active scavenging activities by vertebrate scavengers and the slower decomposition rate resulting from cold temperatures in the Antarctic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrion decomposition contributes to the soil microbial community structure. This research aimed to identify the soil arthropod, nematode, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with penguin carrion on King George Island, Antarctica. Soil samples were collected around and beneath fresh (freshly killed penguins by the predators) and dried (decomposed more than a year) penguin carrion. Soil bacterial and fungal communities associated with the penguin carrion were analyzed using the 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene sequencing, respectively. Arthropod identification was using Sanger sequencing and nematodes were determined using morphological identification. This study demonstrated no significant differences in arthropod and nematode, bacteria, and fungi communities between decomposition stages, soil location, and species of penguin carrion. This is the first study to identify soil arthropods, nematodes, bacterial, and fungal communities associated with penguin carrion, offering important insights into the initial documentation of the necrobiome communities in the polar region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]