Diversity of biocrust-forming cyanobacteria in a semiarid gypsiferous site from Central Spain

Cyanobacteria are a key constituent of biocrusts, communities dominated by lichens, mosses and associated microorganisms, which are prevalent in drylands worldwide and that largely determine their functioning. Despite their importance, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the composition and div...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of arid environments. - 1999. - 151(2018) vom: 01. Apr., Seite 83-89
1. Verfasser: Cano-Díaz, Concha (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Mateo, Pilar, Muñoz-Martín, M Ángeles, Maestre, Fernando T
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2018
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Journal of arid environments
Schlagworte:Journal Article 16S rRNA Biocrust Biological soil crust Cyanobacterial diversity Microcoleus Soil cyanobacteria
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Cyanobacteria are a key constituent of biocrusts, communities dominated by lichens, mosses and associated microorganisms, which are prevalent in drylands worldwide and that largely determine their functioning. Despite their importance, there are large gaps in our knowledge of the composition and diversity of cyanobacteria associated with biocrusts, particularly in areas such as the Mediterranean Basin. We studied the diversity of these cyanobacteria in a gypsiferous grassland from Central Spain using both morphological identification after cultivation and genetic analyses with the 16S rRNA gene. Nine different morphotypes were observed, eight corresponding to filamentous, and one to unicellular cyanobacteria. We found cyanobacterial genera typical of biocrust communities, such as Microcoleus and Trichocoleus, and N-fixing cyanobacteria such as Scytonema and Nostoc. Genetic information allowed us to identify cultures belonging to recently described genera such as Roholtiella, Nodosilinea and Mojavia. We also describe two new phylotypes of Microcoleus and Scytonema, which are key genera contributing to ecosystem functioning in biocrust-dominated ecosystems worldwide
Beschreibung:Date Revised 29.01.2022
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE
ISSN:0140-1963
DOI:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2017.11.008