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Subaerial Microbial Mats and Their Effects on Soil and Rock

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Microbial Sediments

Abstract

Microbial mats (or biofilms) under permanent water cover contain 95–98% biologically stabilised water at ambient temperature, while biofilms in atmospheric environments can be regarded as the maximum biomass maintaining metabolic potential in the presence of the minimum amount of water. Rock or other subaerial biofilms are made up primarily of poikilotroph micro-or-ganisms which thrive on the lowest water activity possible. Biofilms on and in rocks are the main factors in rock decay and the production of patinas, films, varnishes, crusts and stromatolites growing on and in rocks. A poikilotroph microflora is instrumental in maintaining life in truly extreme conditions and over considerable periods of time. The importance of the activity of the rock-dwelling biota and biofilms can be explained in terms of the fractal dimension of the reactive surface of sediment and rock with water and atmosphere, respectively. The weight of the living (mainly microbial) biomass of the planet is recalculated to be 1021 g instead of 1017 g, by including estimates of deep sedimentary and deep rock microbial biospheres. Poikilotroph biofilms under subaerial conditions are involved in both rock-destroying and rock-forming processes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biology, St Petersburg State University, Stary Peterhof, Russia

    Anna A. Gorbushina

  2. Geomicrobiology, ICBM, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, P.O. Box 2503, D-26111, Oldenburg, Germany

    Wolfgang E. Krumbein

Authors
  1. Anna A. Gorbushina
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  2. Wolfgang E. Krumbein
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Cardiff University, CF10 3YE, Cardiff, Wales, UK

    Robert E. Riding

  2. Department of Geological Sciences, University of California, 93106, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

    Stanley M. Awramik

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Gorbushina, A.A., Krumbein, W.E. (2000). Subaerial Microbial Mats and Their Effects on Soil and Rock. In: Riding, R.E., Awramik, S.M. (eds) Microbial Sediments. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04036-2_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04036-2_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08275-7

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