Microbial diversity and functional capacity in polar soils
Global change is disproportionately affecting cold environments (polar and high elevation regions), with potentially negative impacts on microbial diversity and functional processes. In most cold environments the combination of low temperatures, and physical stressors, such as katabatic wind episode...
| Published in: | Current Opinion in Biotechnology |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/52220 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2016.01.011 |
| Summary: | Global change is disproportionately affecting cold environments (polar and high elevation regions), with potentially negative impacts on microbial diversity and functional processes. In most cold environments the combination of low temperatures, and physical stressors, such as katabatic wind episodes and limited water availability result in biotic systems, which are in trophic terms very simple and primarily driven by microbial communities. Metagenomic approaches have provided key insights on microbial communities in these systems and how they may adapt to stressors and contribute towards mediating crucial biogeochemical cycles. Here we review, the current knowledge regarding edaphic-based microbial diversity and functional processes in Antarctica, and the Artic. Such insights are crucial and help to establish a baseline for understanding the impact of climate change on Polar Regions. South African National Research Foundation. South African National Antarctic Program. Foundational Biodiversity Program.University of Pretoria for funding through the Research Development Program (TPM) and the Genomics Research Institute. http://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-opinion-in-biotechnology 2017-04-30 hb2016 Genetics |
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