Project Info

	Lichen crusts on gypsum soils. Photo: Christine Heim
	Gypsum crust with lichen. Photo: Isabel Prater
	Phototrophic organisms in halite. Photo: Christine Heim

Microbial life in the Atacama Desert is present in evaporites and soil crusts and is very well-adapted to severe water limitations. Due to the harsh environmental conditions at the surface, microbial life is especially active within the surface crusts or even below. Microbial communities comprising of photoautotrophic and chemoheterotrophic organisms from different groups of bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes inhabit such endolithic environments.

The overarching goal of this project is to identify key players of the endolithic communities that influence and modify surrounding mineral phases including evaporitic substrates of the Atacama Desert. Organic network structures formed by various organisms may significantly change surface properties of evaporitic soil crusts leading to initial pedogenesis.

Even if such processes are slow and occur at small scale, they sustainably contribute to the shaping of the surface and biotic communities (i.e. creating preconditions for higher vegetation) over geological time scales.

Research Questions:

• How are microorganisms adapted to endolithic life in salt crusts?
• How does their metabolism affect or modify the surrounding mineralogical environment?
• Which lipids of these mineral-related-communities are specific and suitable biomarker for environmental reconstructions?