| Summary: | Cyanobacteria evolved under the harsh conditions of the Precambrian and their modern representatives retain a remarkable ability to adapt to and survive within extreme conditions. They dominate terrestrial and freshwater cold ecosystems of the Arctic, Antarctic and alpine regions, even though they do not seem to be specifically adapted to optimal growth at low temperatures. They play a major ecological role as they often are primary colonisers of substrates and major primary producers in these ecosystems. The application of molecular tools in combination with classic morphological techniques has begun to provide new insights into the real diversity of cyanobacteria and their biogeographical distribution in cold environments. Our survey of recent studies suggests complex distributional patterns of cyanobacteria, with cosmopolitan, endemic, and habitat-specific genotypes. This ongoing research will help to identify specific geographical areas that have unique microbial communities. However, many more studies are needed to unravel the enormous diversity of cyanobacteria and to better define their biogeographical patterns in cold environments. This is an urgent task in view of the climatic changes that will undoubtedly alter the structure and functioning of microbial communities in polar and alpine ecosystems. AMBIO
|
|---|