Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

Journal of Microbiology : Journal of Microbiology

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search
Advanced Search
mobile menu button

Articles

Page Path
HOME > J. Microbiol > Volume 57(4); 2019 > Article
Journal Article
Growth of cyanobacterial soil crusts during diurnal freeze-thaw cycles
Steven K. Schmidt , Lara Vimercati
Journal of Microbiology 2019;57(4):243-251.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8359-5
Published online: February 5, 2019
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
Corresponding author:  Steven K. Schmidt , Tel: +1-303-492-6248, 
Received: 2 July 2018   • Revised: 16 October 2018   • Accepted: 29 October 2018
prev next
  • 47 Views
  • 0 Download
  • 16 Web of Science
  • 13 Crossref
  • 16 Scopus
Full Article

Abstract

Various Nostoc spp. and related cyanobacteria are able to survive extreme temperatures and are among the most successful colonists of high-elevation sites being exposed due to glacial retreat. It is unclear, however, if cyanobacteria can grow during the extreme freeze-thaw cycles that occur on a yearround basis at high-elevation, peri-glacial sites or if they only grow during the rare periods when freeze-thaw cycles do not occur. We conducted several experiments to determine if cyanobacteria that form biological soil crusts (BSCs) at highelevation sites (> 5,000 m.a.s.l.) in the Andes can grow during diurnal freeze-thaw cycles on a par with those that occur in the field. Here we show that a soil crust that had been frozen at -20°C for five years was able to increase from 40% to 100% soil coverage during a 45-day incubation during which the soil temperature cycled between -12°C and 26°C every day. In a second, experiment an undeveloped soil with no visible BSCs showed a statistically significant shift in the bacterial community from one containing few cyanobacterial sequences (8% of sequences) to one dominated (27%) by Nostoc, Microcoleus, and Leptolyngbya phylotypes during a 77-day incubation with daily freeze-thaw cycles. In addition, counts of spherical Nostoc-like colonies increased significantly on the soil surface during the experiment, especially in microcosms receiving phosphorus. Taken together these results show that freeze-thaw cycles alone do not limit the growth of BSCs in high-elevation soils, and provide new insight into how life is able to thrive in one of the most extreme terrestrial environments on Earth.

  • Cite this Article
    Cite this Article
    export Copy Download
    Close
    Download Citation
    Download a citation file in RIS format that can be imported by all major citation management software, including EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and Reference Manager.
    Format:
    • RIS — For EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and most other reference management software
    • BibTeX — For JabRef, BibDesk, and other BibTeX-specific software
    Include:
    • Citation for the content below
    Growth of cyanobacterial soil crusts during diurnal freeze-thaw cycles
    J. Microbiol. 2019;57(4):243-251.   Published online February 5, 2019
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-019-8359-5
    Close
Related articles
Journal of Microbiology : Journal of Microbiology
© The Microbiological Society of Korea.
TOP