Cyanobacteria are confined to dewless habitats within a dew desert: Implications for past and future climate change for lithic microorganisms

Giora J. Kidron*, Abraham Starinsky, Dan H. Yaalon

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Although covering almost all rock outcrops around the world, little is known regarding the factors that govern the spatial distribution of lithic cyanobacteria and lichens. This is also the case in the Negev Desert, where cyanobacteria predominate on the rock outcrops of the south-facing slopes and lichens on the rock outcrops of the north-facing slopes. Hypothesizing that abiotic conditions determine their distribution, radiation, temperature, rain, dew and fog were monitored over a two-year period (2008-2010) at cyanobacteria- and lichen-dwelling habitats within a first-order drainage basin in the Negev Highlands. While non-significant differences characterized the rain amounts, substantial differences in substrate temperatures were recorded which resulted in turn in fundamental differences in the non-rainfall water regime. While dew condensed at the rock outcrops of the lichen habitat, no condensation took place at the cyanobacteria habitat. Contrary to the common belief, cyanobacteria were found to inhabit dewless habitats. As a result, cyanobacteria solely rely on rain precipitation for growth and can therefore serve as bioindicators for dewless habitats within the dewy Negev Desert. The findings may have important implications regarding Earth colonization, soil forming processes and geochemical processes following climate warming. They may explain lichen expansion and subsequent O2 increase during the mid Neoproterozoic providing indirect support for substantial photosynthetic activity and high weathering rates during this era.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3606-3614
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Hydrology
Volume519
Issue numberPD
DOIs
StatePublished - 27 Nov 2014

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

  • Colonization
  • Cyanobacteria
  • Dew
  • Lichens
  • Negev
  • Neoproterozoic

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