Microbial Ecosystems in Central Andes Extreme Environments

SANTOS ANA PAULA; FARIAS MARIA EUGENIA; VALDEZ ALEJANDRA LEONOR; BELFIORE CAROLINA; MANUEL CONTRERAS

SPRINGER

Año: 2020 p. 292

978-3-030-36191-4

The Central Andean Altiplane represents a unique extreme environment due to its high altitude,closed basins that modulate the salt pans and saline wetlands surrounded by deserts, as wellas the considerable influence of volcanic activity. UV radiation, arsenic content, high salinity,alkalinity and low dissolved oxygen levels, together with extreme daily temperature fluctuationsand oligotrophic conditions, shape an environment that resembles the early Earth and, evenmore, extraterrestrial conditions. By developing simple biofilms stratified microbial mats orcomplex microbialites, extreme microbial ecosystems, colonize and thrived in differentenvironments like salt flats, wetlands, lakes volcano vents, geysers and deserts. This bookpresents our current understanding of these amazing ecosystems, providing a basis for theirprotection and sustainable utilization. The main audience for this book included researchersand graduate students as well as professionals working in the government, mining industryand similar activities.