Similar growth potentials of cyanobacteria and algae explain their coexistence in desert soils.

ABSTRACT: In deserts that cover one-third of the Earth's terrain, soil cyanobacteria and algae are key carbon dioxide (CO₂) fixers because few other plants can tolerate intense solar radiation, prolonged desiccation, and extreme temperature shifts. Extensively studied resilience of cyanobacteria and algae to environmental stresses explains their survival in deserts rather than their ubiquitous coexistence. To coexist, prokaryotic cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae need to grow at similar rates on rare occasions when vital water becomes available. To test that, we incubated illuminated soil samples collected in the Negev desert after rainfall and dewfall events with¹⁴CO₂ and microdissected cyanobacteria and algae separately from the soil to determine group-specific CO

SUBMITTER: Kyi KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12780035 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature