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about the response of these systems to global changes (Wall, 2005). As presented, these papers provide a bench-ecosystem processes. Furthermore, it is our intention that the soil ecosystems of the Victoria Land region. Among them were: the development or modification of analytical techni-ARTICLE IN PRESSmark on soil ecosystems of Victoria Land. They call for a priority research agenda that will combine site-specific ques capable of detecting low limits of ecosystem processes, expanded application of molecular (both phylogenetic and 0038-0717/ $- see front matter r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2006.04.018however, is how these changes will affect biodiversity and the ecological processes mediated by soil organisms. A principal goal of this volume is to assess the current state of knowledge of controls over soil biodiversity in Victoria Land and to identify gaps in order to develop scenarios these papers will be an important contribution to the ecological literature on Antarctica and it is timely that they are published at the start of the International Polar Yea