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Microbial Diversity, Life Strategies, and Adaptation to Life in Extreme Soils

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Microbiology of Extreme Soils

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 13))

There is no general consensus on how to define an extreme environment. From an anthropocentric point of view, physicochemical conditions supporting mammalian life appear as normal, and conditions deviating from these are considered as extreme. However, what is extreme and what is normal for microbes remains debatable, and the concept “extreme” as we use it may not necessarily be appropriate for micro-organisms (Gorbushina and Krumbein 1999). Micro-organisms dwell in virtually all types of soil habitats. These range from extremely dry and cold deserts in the Antarctic and deep into permafrost soils to geothermal and humid soils in volcanic areas, from extremely acid mines with sulfuric acid to high alkaline areas. Microbial life can also exist in salt crystals, under extremely low water activity, and low nutrient concentrations. As a group, micro-organisms have the highest ability of all life forms to adapt to extreme and stressful environments. This includes new types of habitats created by anthropogenic activities, such as those polluted with heavy metals, radionuclides, and high concentrations of toxic xenobiotic compounds (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls, hydrocarbons, and pesticides).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, 7800, Jahnebakken 5, N-5020, Bergen, Norway

    Vigdis Torsvik

  2. Department of Biology, University of Bergen, 7800, Jahnebakken 5, N-5020, Bergen, Norway

    Lise Øvreås

Authors
  1. Vigdis Torsvik
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  2. Lise Øvreås
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Département de phytologie, Pavillon Charles-Eugène Marchand, 1030, avenue de la Médecine Université Laval, Québec (Québec), G1V 0A6, Canada

    Patrice Dion

  2. National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, 226001, India

    Chandra Shekhar Nautiyal

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Torsvik, V., Øvreås, L. (2008). Microbial Diversity, Life Strategies, and Adaptation to Life in Extreme Soils. In: Dion, P., Nautiyal, C.S. (eds) Microbiology of Extreme Soils. Soil Biology, vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74231-9_2

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