Journal
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
Volume 39, Issue 2, Pages 203-221Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuu011
Keywords
deserts; soil; hypoliths; biological soil crusts; global change; community dynamics
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Funding
- South African National Research Foundation
- University of Pretoria
- Genomics Research Institute
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics
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A significant proportion of the Earth's surface is desert or in the process of desertification. The extreme environmental conditions that characterize these areas result in a surface that is essentially barren, with a limited range of higher plants and animals. Microbial communities are probably the dominant drivers of these systems, mediating key ecosystem processes. In this review, we examine the microbial communities of hot desert terrestrial biotopes (including soils, cryptic and refuge niches and plant-root-associated microbes) and the processes that govern their assembly. We also assess the possible effects of global climate change on hot desert microbial communities and the resulting feedback mechanisms. We conclude by discussing current gaps in our understanding of the microbiology of hot deserts and suggest fruitful avenues for future research.
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