Inorganic Species Distribution and Microbial Diversity within High Arctic Cryptoendolithic Habitats

• Christopher R. Omelon ^{[1] [3]} ; Wayne H. Pollard ^[2] ; F. Grant Ferris ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Toronto

     University of Toronto

     Canadá

     
  2. [2] McGill University

     McGill University

     Canadá

     
  3. [3] University of Texas at Austin

     University of Texas at Austin

     Estados Unidos

     

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• Localización: Microbial ecology, ISSN-e 1432-184X, ISSN 0095-3628, Vol. 54, Nº. 4, 2007, págs. 740-752
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Cryptoendolithic habitats in the Canadian high Arctic are associated with a variety of microbial community assemblages, including cyanobacteria, algae, and fungi. These habitats were analyzed for the presence of metal ions by sequential extraction and evaluated for relationships between these and the various microorganisms found at each site using multivariate statistical methods. Cyanobacteria-dominated communities exist under higher pH conditions with elevated concentrations of calcium and magnesium, whereas communities dominated by fungi and algae are characterized by lower pH conditions and higher concentrations of iron, aluminum, and silicon in the overlying surfaces. These results suggest that the activity of the dominant microorganisms controls the pH of the surrounding environment, which in turn dictates rates of weathering or the possibility for surface crust formation, both ultimately deciding the structure of microbial diversity for each cryptoendolithic habitat.