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Kinetics and pathways of sub-lithic microbial community (hypolithon) development.
Jason Bosch1,2, Pedro H Lebre1, Eugene Marais3
1Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Environmental Microbiology Reports
|June 26, 2024
Summary
Hypolithon communities, microbial life under desert rocks, develop over 3 years in areas with higher rainfall. Development was not observed in hyper-arid zones, showing precipitation
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Desert Ecology
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Hypolithons are microbial communities found under rocks in desert environments.
- These communities, dominated by Cyanobacteria, play a vital role in soil nutrient cycling.
- Limited data exists on hypolithon growth rates and community development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the formation dynamics of hypolithons in the Namib Desert.
- To investigate the influence of precipitation on hypolithon development.
- To understand the kinetics of microbial community establishment in arid ecosystems.
Main Methods:
- Deployment of sterile rock tiles with varying light transmission in two Namib Desert locations with different precipitation levels.
- Annual sampling over seven years.
- Analysis of microbial communities using environmental DNA (eDNA) extraction and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.
Main Results:
- Hypolithon formation was observed in semi-translucent rocks within three years in the higher precipitation zone.
- A Cyanobacterial bloom was detected in the developing hypolithon community in the third year.
- No visible hypolithon formation occurred in the hyper-arid zone over the seven-year study period.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first quantitative evidence of hypolithon development kinetics in hot deserts.
- Precipitation regimes significantly influence the rate of hypolithon formation.
- Hypolithon establishment is a slow process, requiring several years and adequate moisture.
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