Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems
Water is usually referred to as the ‘Molecule of Life’. It constitutes the most abundant molecule in living (micro)organisms and is also essential for critical biochemical reactions, both for the global functioning and maintenance of Ecosystems (e.g., Photosynthesis) and individual (microbial) cells...
I tiakina i:
| Ngā kaituhi matua: | , , |
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| Hōputu: | Online |
| Reo: | Ingarihi |
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Frontiers Media SA
2021
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| Ngā marau: | |
| Urunga tuihono: | 18356 |
| Ngā Tūtohu: |
Kāore He Tūtohu, Me noho koe te mea tuatahi ki te tūtohu i tēnei pūkete!
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| _version_ | 1869525610376724480 |
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| author | Don Cowan Thulani P. Makhalanyane Jean-Baptiste Ramond |
| author_browse | Don Cowan Jean-Baptiste Ramond Thulani P. Makhalanyane |
| author_facet | Don Cowan Thulani P. Makhalanyane Jean-Baptiste Ramond |
| author_sort | Don Cowan |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | Water is usually referred to as the ‘Molecule of Life’. It constitutes the most abundant molecule in living (micro)organisms and is also essential for critical biochemical reactions, both for the global functioning and maintenance of Ecosystems (e.g., Photosynthesis) and individual (microbial) cells (e.g., ATP hydrolysis). However, most of Earth’s terrestrial environments present deficiencies in bioavailable water. Arid environments cover around a third of the land’s surface, are found on the six continents and, with the anthropogenic desertification phenomenon, will increase. Commonly defined by having a ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration (P/PET) below 1, arid environments, being either hot or cold, are characterized by scant and erratic plant growth and low densities in macro-fauna. Consequently, these ecosystems are microbially mediated with microbial communities particularly driving the essential Na and C biogeochemical cycles. Due to the relatively simple trophic structure of these biomes, arid terrestrial environments have subsequently been used as ideal ecosystems to capture and model interactions in edaphic microbial communities. To date, we have been able to demonstrate that edaphic microorganisms (i.e., Fungi, Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses) in arid environments are abundant, highly diverse, different from those of other terrestrial systems (both in terms of diversity and function), and are important for the stability and productivity of these ecosystems. Moreover, arid terrestrial systems are generally considered Mars-like environments. Thus, they have been the favored destination for astro(micro)biologists aiming to better understand life’s potential distribution and adaptation strategies in the Universe and develop terraforming approaches. Altogether, these points demonstrate the importance of significantly improving our knowledge in the microbial community composition (particularly for Fungi, Archaea and Viruses), assembly processes and functional potentials of arid terrestrial systems, as well as their adaptation mechanisms to aridity (and generally to various other environmental stresses). This Research Topic was proposed to provide further insights on the microbial ecology of hot and cold arid edaphic systems. We provide a detailed review and nine research articles, spanning hot and cold deserts, edaphic, rhizospheric, BSC and endolithic environments as well as culture-dependent and -independant approaches. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-53396 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media SA |
| publisherStr | Frontiers Media SA |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-533962024-04-05T17:31:04Z Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems Don Cowan Thulani P. Makhalanyane Jean-Baptiste Ramond QR1-502 Q1-390 xeric stress Arid environment desert Nitrogen environmental gradients thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSG Microbiology (non-medical) Water is usually referred to as the ‘Molecule of Life’. It constitutes the most abundant molecule in living (micro)organisms and is also essential for critical biochemical reactions, both for the global functioning and maintenance of Ecosystems (e.g., Photosynthesis) and individual (microbial) cells (e.g., ATP hydrolysis). However, most of Earth’s terrestrial environments present deficiencies in bioavailable water. Arid environments cover around a third of the land’s surface, are found on the six continents and, with the anthropogenic desertification phenomenon, will increase. Commonly defined by having a ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration (P/PET) below 1, arid environments, being either hot or cold, are characterized by scant and erratic plant growth and low densities in macro-fauna. Consequently, these ecosystems are microbially mediated with microbial communities particularly driving the essential Na and C biogeochemical cycles. Due to the relatively simple trophic structure of these biomes, arid terrestrial environments have subsequently been used as ideal ecosystems to capture and model interactions in edaphic microbial communities. To date, we have been able to demonstrate that edaphic microorganisms (i.e., Fungi, Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses) in arid environments are abundant, highly diverse, different from those of other terrestrial systems (both in terms of diversity and function), and are important for the stability and productivity of these ecosystems. Moreover, arid terrestrial systems are generally considered Mars-like environments. Thus, they have been the favored destination for astro(micro)biologists aiming to better understand life’s potential distribution and adaptation strategies in the Universe and develop terraforming approaches. Altogether, these points demonstrate the importance of significantly improving our knowledge in the microbial community composition (particularly for Fungi, Archaea and Viruses), assembly processes and functional potentials of arid terrestrial systems, as well as their adaptation mechanisms to aridity (and generally to various other environmental stresses). This Research Topic was proposed to provide further insights on the microbial ecology of hot and cold arid edaphic systems. We provide a detailed review and nine research articles, spanning hot and cold deserts, edaphic, rhizospheric, BSC and endolithic environments as well as culture-dependent and -independant approaches. 2021-02-11T19:32:01Z 2021-02-11T19:32:01Z 2016-01-19 14:05:46 2016 book 18356 16648714 9782889199693 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/53396 eng Frontiers Research Topics image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International http://www.frontiersin.org/books/Microbial_Ecology_of_Arid_Terrestrial_Systems/994 http://journal.frontiersin.org/researchtopic/3521/microbial-ecology-of-arid-terrestrial-systems Frontiers Media SA 10.3389/978-2-88919-969-3 10.3389/978-2-88919-969-3 bf5ce210-e72e-4860-ba9b-c305640ff3ae 9782889199693 127 open access |
| spellingShingle | QR1-502 Q1-390 xeric stress Arid environment desert Nitrogen environmental gradients thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSG Microbiology (non-medical) Don Cowan Thulani P. Makhalanyane Jean-Baptiste Ramond Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title | Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title_full | Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title_fullStr | Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title_short | Microbial Ecology of Arid Terrestrial Systems |
| title_sort | microbial ecology of arid terrestrial systems |
| topic | QR1-502 Q1-390 xeric stress Arid environment desert Nitrogen environmental gradients thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSG Microbiology (non-medical) |
| topic_facet | QR1-502 Q1-390 xeric stress Arid environment desert Nitrogen environmental gradients thema EDItEUR::P Mathematics and Science::PS Biology, life sciences::PSG Microbiology (non-medical) |
| url | 18356 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT doncowan microbialecologyofaridterrestrialsystems AT thulanipmakhalanyane microbialecologyofaridterrestrialsystems AT jeanbaptisteramond microbialecologyofaridterrestrialsystems |