Windows of microbial activity in deserts afforded by non-rain water (WinMicAct)
More than 40 percent of the world's land area is covered by drylands – a number that is constantly increasing due to climate change and unsustainable land management practices. In these extreme habitats, soil microorganisms adapted to the desert climate fulfil important ecosystem functions. Microbes in particular on the soil surface - in the so-called biological soil crust - prevent soil erosion and provide carbon and nitrogen, two key factors for soil fertility.
Until now, it has been assumed that microbial activity in arid deserts is limited to rare, short and unpredictable rainfall events. However, other, so-called non-rainwater inputs also exist in deserts - such as fog, dew and water vapor adsorption. They are more common than rain in many deserts, and are therefore more reliable sources of water. However, little is known about whether microorganisms can utilize these water sources for reactivation. The associated microbial activities and their overall contribution to microbially driven ecosystem processes are also largely unknown.
In the ERC-funded project WinMicAct, we will investigate the importance of these non-rainwater inputs for microbial activities and the preservation of microbial diversity. Further, the project aims to estimate the contribution of these activities at the ecosystem level in comparison to rain-driven activity. All this will be made possible by a multidisciplinary approach and in collaboration with scientists in Israel and Spain. In addition, the project will consider expected changes in the pattern of rainfall and non-rainwater inputs due to climate change and can thus provide the basis for future investigations and modelling of climate change effects on ecosystem processes in drylands.
This project is funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (101200188).
Researchers involved:
The project team includes the following collaborator partners:
- Osnat Gillor and Nurit Agam (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel)
- Bettina Weber and Minsu Kim (University of Graz)
- Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero (University of Almería, Spain)
- Sonia Chamizo (Experimental Station of Arid Zones of Spanish National Research Council (EEZA-CSIC), Spain