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Halotolerant and Halophilic Microbes and Their Environmental Implications in Saline and Hypersaline Lakes in Qinghai Province, China

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Extremophiles in Eurasian Ecosystems: Ecology, Diversity, and Applications

Part of the book series: Microorganisms for Sustainability ((MICRO,volume 8))

Abstract

Abundant and diverse halophilic and halotolerant microbes exist in the lakes of Qinghai Province, China. However, it is poorly known about their roles in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur elements and how their ecological functions respond to environmental conditions. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the diversity/community composition and ecological implications of halophilic and halotolerant microbes and their responses to environmental conditions in the Qinghai lakes. Halophilic and halotolerant microbes in the Qinghai lakes are important mines for exploring new taxonomic units, and they are extensively involved in ecological functions related to biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur elements. The halophilic and halotolerant microbes in global saline and hypersaline lakes may contribute higher fraction to global carbon flux than expected. So reappraisals are to be conducted on microbial roles in biogeochemistry. In addition, biomarkers (ancient DNA or lipids) derived from halophilic and halotolerant microbial functional groups can be employed to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions of the lakes.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41422208, 41521001, 41672331, 41672337, and 41602346), the 111 Program (State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs & the Ministry of Education of China, grant B18049), the Fundamental Research Funds for National University (China University of Geosciences—Wuhan), and State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China

    Hongchen Jiang, Jianrong Huang & Jiang Yang

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  1. Hongchen Jiang
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  2. Jianrong Huang
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  3. Jiang Yang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hongchen Jiang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology, National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Dilfuza Egamberdieva

  2. Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Nils-Kåre Birkeland

  3. Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia

    Hovik Panosyan

  4. School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China

    Wen-Jun Li

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Jiang, H., Huang, J., Yang, J. (2018). Halotolerant and Halophilic Microbes and Their Environmental Implications in Saline and Hypersaline Lakes in Qinghai Province, China. In: Egamberdieva, D., Birkeland, NK., Panosyan, H., Li, WJ. (eds) Extremophiles in Eurasian Ecosystems: Ecology, Diversity, and Applications. Microorganisms for Sustainability, vol 8. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0329-6_10

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