Microbial Ecosystems in Central Andes Extreme Environments (eBook)

The Central Andean Altiplane represents a unique extreme environment due to its high altitude, closed basins that modulate the salt pans and saline wetlands surrounded by deserts, as well as the considerable influence of volcanic activity. UV radiation, arsenic content, high salinity, alkalinity and low dissolved oxygen levels, together with extreme daily temperature fluctuations and oligotrophic conditions, shape an environment that resembles the early Earth and, even more, extraterrestrial conditions. By developing simple biofilms stratified microbial mats or complex microbialites, extreme microbial ecosystems, colonize and thrived in different environments like salt flats, wetlands, lakes volcano vents, geysers and deserts. This book presents our current understanding of these amazing ecosystems, providing a basis for their protection and sustainable utilization. The main audience for this book included researchers and graduate students as well as professionals working in the government, mining industry and similar activities.

Dr. María Eugenia Farías graduated with honors in Biology at the Universidad Nacional de Tucumán and obtained her PhD in Microbiology from the same institution followed by a postdoctoral at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB - CSIC) in Madrid. In 2003 she created the Laboratory of Microbiological Research in Andean Lagoons (LIMLA) dedicated to the study of the microbiological biodiversity of the lagoons, salt pans and volcanoes of the Argentinean Puna. In 2009, she discovered microbial ecosystems in the region and since then, through intense scientific activity and dissemination, she has been promoting activities aimed at protecting extremophile ecosystems in the context of mining activity in the region. She was involved in the creation of a Protected Area in Socompa and created the first collection of endangered microorganisms and metagenomas of the Andean Extremophiles ecosystems (algae, archaea, bacteria and fungi). Besides her many research article publications, she was also mentioned in the L'Oreal -UNESCO for woman in Science award in 2011 and is currently doing a Surveying of extreme microbial ecosystems associated with minerals (microbialites, microbial mats, and endoevaporites) in Central Andes, of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia.