Journal
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 8, Issue 2, Pages 129-138Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2281
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Antarctica New Zealand
- Marsden Fund, New Zealand
- Foundation of Research Science and Technology, New Zealand
- National Science Foundation, USA
- National Research Foundation, South Africa
- Directorate For Geosciences
- Office of Polar Programs (OPP) [0739648] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The arid soils of the Antarctic Dry Valleys constitute some of the oldest, coldest, driest and most oligotrophic soils on Earth. Early studies suggested that the Dry Valley soils contained, at best, very low levels of viable microbiota. However, recent applications of molecular methods have revealed a dramatically contrasting picture - a very wide diversity of microbial taxa, many of which are uncultured and taxonomically unique, and a community that seems to be structured solely by abiotic processes. Here we review our understanding of these extreme Antarctic terrestrial microbial communities, with particular emphasis on the factors that are involved in their development, distribution and maintenance in these cold desert environments.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available