Cuatro Ciénegas Ecology Natural History And Microbiology
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Cuatro Ciénegas Ecology, Natural History and Microbiology by Valeria Souza,Gabriela Olmedo-Álvarez,Luis E. Eguiarte Pdf
The aim of this first book is to introduce the readers of the series to why Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is so unique, starting with the reason why astrobiologists became interested in this oasis in the first place; namely, the high diversity and abundance of stromatolites and microbial mats in continental waters to be found in the desert oasis. As NASA has long since discovered, the basin may offer the best analog of early Earth. In essence, CCB is a time machine that can take us far back and forth in time. In the respective chapters, the contributing authors explain the extraordinary microbial diversity of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin from various perspectives. In order to do so, they explain their journey as well as the different tools used to unravel the basin’s mysteries, such as: Why are there so many species in a place without food? How has life there survived the enormity of tectonic shifts through the ages, maintaining its ancient marine heritage?
Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert by Maria C. Mandujano,Irene Pisanty,Luis E. Eguiarte Pdf
Environmental and specific diversity in the Chihuahuan desert in general, and in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in particular, has long been recognized as outstanding. This book provides a global ecological overview, together with in-depth studies of specific processes. The Chihuahuan desert is the warmest in North America, and has a complex geologic, climatic and biogeographical history, which affects today’s distribution of vegetation and plants and generates complex phylogeographic patterns. The high number of endemic species reflects this complex set of traits. The modern distribution of environments, including aquatic and subaquatic systems, riparian environments, gypsum dunes and gypsum-rich soils, low levels of phosphorous and organic matter, and high salinity combined with an extreme climate call for a range of adaptations. Plants are distributed in a patchy pattern based on punctual variations, and many of them respond to different resources and conditions with considerable morphological plasticity. In terms of physiological, morphological and ecological variability, cacti were identified as the most important group in specific environments like bajadas, characterized by high diversity values, while gypsophytes and gypsovagues of different phylogenies, including species with restricted distribution and endemics.
Astrobiology and Cuatro Ciénegas Basin as an Analog of Early Earth by Valeria Souza,Antígona Segura,Jamie S. Foster Pdf
Astrobiology not only investigates how early life took hold of our planet but also life on other planets – both in our Solar System and beyond – and their potential for habitability. The book take readers from the scars on planetary surfaces made by space rocks to the history of the Solar System narrated by those space rocks as well as exoplanets in other planetary systems. But the true question is how life arose here or elsewhere. Modern comparative genomics has revealed that Darwin was correct; a set of highly conserved genes and cellular functions indicate that all life is related by common ancestry. The Last Universal Common Ancestor or LUCA sits at the base of the Tree of Life. However, once that life took hold, it started to diversify and form complex microbial communities that are known as microbial mats and stromatolites. Due to their long evolutionary history and abundance on modern Earth, research on the biological, chemical and geological processes of stromatolite formation has provided important insights into the field of astrobiology. Many of these microbialite-containing ecosystems have been used as models for astrobiology, and NASA mission analogs including Shark Bay, Pavilion and Kelly Lakes. Modern microbialites represent natural laboratories to study primordial ecosystems and provide proxies for how life could evolve on other planets. However, few viral metagenomic studies (i.e., viromes) have been conducted in microbialites, which are not only an important part of the community but also mirror its biodiversity. This book focuses on particularly interesting sites such as Andean lake microbialites, a proxy of early life since they are characterized by very high UV light, while Alchichica and Bacalar lakes are characterized by high-salt and oligotrophic waters that nurture stromatolites. However, it is only the oasis of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in México that stored past life in its marine sediments of the Sierra de San Marcos. This particular Sierra has a magmatic pouch that moves the deep aquifer to the surface in a cycle of sun drenched life and back to the depths of the magmatic life in an ancient cycle that now is broken by the overexploitation of the surface water as well as the deep aquifer in order to irrigate alfalfa in the desert. The anthropocene, the era of human folly, is killing this unique time machine and with it the memory of the planet.
Conflicts Between Biodiversity Conservation and Humans by Valeria Souza,María C. Mandujano,Irene Pisanty,Luis E. Eguiarte Pdf
This book takes readers on a journey through the history of water in the Coahuila desert. It starts by describing the beauty and mysteries of the landscape, and then explores the rock art of the original desert cultures in Coahuila, offering readers a glimpse of the sacred nature of water in the desert, as well as the rituals surrounding it. Moving on to the colonial times and the post- independence development of the region, it discusses early water management, and explores how water is managed in modern times, as well as the legal complications of the law, and how these faulty laws, designed for less arid regions, have affected a highly diverse wetland, the Cuatro Ciénegas oasis. The book then examines the biological consequences of the water loss for the aquatic plants and animals in Churince – a now extinct system within Cuatro Ciénegas. Further, it addresses how even bacteria can become extinct in this hyper-diverse microbial oasis. Lastly, after this despair and sense of loss, the book provides hope, offering suggestions for how we can transform the future, from a social and educational point of view as well as through good science and changes in policy.
Animal Diversity and Biogeography of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin by Fernando Álvarez,Margarita Ojeda Pdf
This volume investigates the contemporary fauna that inhabit the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Divided into 15 chapters, it addresses and describes their diversity, taxonomic and biogeogaphic affinities, and ecological characteristics. The Cuatro Ciénegas Valley is a unique oasis in the south-central region of the State of Coahuila, part of the Sonoran Desert, in Mexico. Several clues, specially derived from the study of the microbiota, suggest a very ancient origin of the valley and its permanence through time. This condition had promoted a high level of endemism and led to unique interactions between the resident species.
Rivers of North America by Michael D. Delong,Timothy D. Jardine,Arthur C. Benke,Colbert E. Cushing Pdf
Rivers of North America, Second Edition features new updates on rivers included in the first edition, as well as brand new information on additional rivers. This new edition expands the knowledge base, providing readers with a broader comparative approach to understand both the common and distinct attributes of river networks. The first edition addressed the three primary disciplines of river science: hydrology, geomorphology, and ecology. This new edition expands upon the interactive nature of these disciplines, showing how they define the organization of a riverine landscape and its processes. An essential resource for river scientists working in ecology, hydrology, and geomorphology. Provides a single source of information on North America’s major rivers Features authoritative information on more than 200 rivers from regional specialists Includes full-color photographs and topographical maps to illustrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system Offers one-page summaries help readers quickly find key statistics and make comparisons among rivers
Mexican Fauna in the Anthropocene by Robert W. Jones,C. Patricia Ornelas-García,Rubén Pineda-López,Fernando Álvarez Pdf
This contributed volume presents an analysis of the current conservation status of major faunal groups in Mexico. The chapters describe a prognosis of future challenges, and also explore the expanding threats inherent in the Anthropocene within the context of the unique physical, biological and cultural aspects of the nation. Covering 27 chapters, and written by Mexican and international authors, this book analyzes a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate animal taxa, their ecosystems and the critical processes related to their present conservation status. This volume is an important reference material for researchers, conservationists and students interested in the biological and ecological processes shaping the Mexican fauna.
Author : Frans J. de Bruijn Publisher : John Wiley & Sons Page : 1472 pages File Size : 44,6 Mb Release : 2016-07-01 Category : Science ISBN : 9781119004820
Stress and Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression and Adaptation in Bacteria by Frans J. de Bruijn Pdf
Bacteria in various habitats are subject to continuously changing environmental conditions, such as nutrient deprivation, heat and cold stress, UV radiation, oxidative stress, dessication, acid stress, nitrosative stress, cell envelope stress, heavy metal exposure, osmotic stress, and others. In order to survive, they have to respond to these conditions by adapting their physiology through sometimes drastic changes in gene expression. In addition they may adapt by changing their morphology, forming biofilms, fruiting bodies or spores, filaments, Viable But Not Culturable (VBNC) cells or moving away from stress compounds via chemotaxis. Changes in gene expression constitute the main component of the bacterial response to stress and environmental changes, and involve a myriad of different mechanisms, including (alternative) sigma factors, bi- or tri-component regulatory systems, small non-coding RNA’s, chaperones, CHRIS-Cas systems, DNA repair, toxin-antitoxin systems, the stringent response, efflux pumps, alarmones, and modulation of the cell envelope or membranes, to name a few. Many regulatory elements are conserved in different bacteria; however there are endless variations on the theme and novel elements of gene regulation in bacteria inhabiting particular environments are constantly being discovered. Especially in (pathogenic) bacteria colonizing the human body a plethora of bacterial responses to innate stresses such as pH, reactive nitrogen and oxygen species and antibiotic stress are being described. An attempt is made to not only cover model systems but give a broad overview of the stress-responsive regulatory systems in a variety of bacteria, including medically important bacteria, where elucidation of certain aspects of these systems could lead to treatment strategies of the pathogens. Many of the regulatory systems being uncovered are specific, but there is also considerable “cross-talk” between different circuits. Stress and Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression and Adaptation in Bacteria is a comprehensive two-volume work bringing together both review and original research articles on key topics in stress and environmental control of gene expression in bacteria. Volume One contains key overview chapters, as well as content on one/two/three component regulatory systems and stress responses, sigma factors and stress responses, small non-coding RNAs and stress responses, toxin-antitoxin systems and stress responses, stringent response to stress, responses to UV irradiation, SOS and double stranded systems repair systems and stress, adaptation to both oxidative and osmotic stress, and desiccation tolerance and drought stress. Volume Two covers heat shock responses, chaperonins and stress, cold shock responses, adaptation to acid stress, nitrosative stress, and envelope stress, as well as iron homeostasis, metal resistance, quorum sensing, chemotaxis and biofilm formation, and viable but not culturable (VBNC) cells. Covering the full breadth of current stress and environmental control of gene expression studies and expanding it towards future advances in the field, these two volumes are a one-stop reference for (non) medical molecular geneticists interested in gene regulation under stress.
Ecosystem Ecology and Geochemistry of Cuatro Cienegas by Felipe García-Oliva,James Elser,Valeria Souza Pdf
Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are three of the most important elements used to build living beings, and their uptake from the environment is consequently essential for all organisms. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants absorb atmospheric C as they grow and convert it to biomass. However, plants acquire N and P only when these are available in the soil solution, which makes these elements the most limiting nutrients in plant growth and productivity in most ecosystems. When plant residues and roots decompose, the C, N and P they contain is transformed primarily into soil organic matter (SOM) or C and N can release to the atmosphere. Recent interest on the global C, N and P cycles has focused attention on the different proportion of terrestrial C, N and P stored in different ecosystem pools. Cuatro Cienegas represents an exceptional place, since the plants are not the base of the food web, they are the microbial community, that recycle the elements essential for life. In this book we describe how this is an analog of early Earth.
Characterizing Modern Microbialites and The Geobiological Processes Underlying Their Formation by Jamie S. Foster,Pieter T. Visscher,Ruth Pamela Reid,Christophe Dupraz Pdf
Advances in Stromatolite Geobiology by Joachim Reitner,Nadia-Valérie Quéric,Gernot Arp Pdf
Stromatolites are the most intriguing geobiological structures of the entire earth history since the beginning of the fossil record in the Archaean. Stromatolites and microbialites are interpreted as biosedimentological remains of biofilms and microbial mats. These structures are important environmental and evolutionary archives which give us information about ancient habitats, biodiversity, and evolution of complex benthic ecosystems. However, many geobiological aspects of these structures are still unknown or only poorly understood. The present proceedings highlight the new ideas and information on the formation and environmental setting of stromatolites presented at the occasion of the Kalkowsky Symposium 2008, held in Göttingen, Germany.
Dedmer B. Van de Waal,James J. Elser, Adam C. Martiny,Robert W. Sterner,James B. Cotner
Author : Dedmer B. Van de Waal,James J. Elser, Adam C. Martiny,Robert W. Sterner,James B. Cotner Publisher : Frontiers Media SA Page : 382 pages File Size : 54,6 Mb Release : 2018 Category : Electronic ISBN : 9782889456215
Progress in Ecological Stoichiometry by Dedmer B. Van de Waal,James J. Elser, Adam C. Martiny,Robert W. Sterner,James B. Cotner Pdf
Ecological stoichiometry concerns the way that the elemental composition of organisms shapes their ecology. It deals with the balance or imbalance of elemental ratios and how that affects organism growth, nutrient cycling, and the interactions with the biotic and abiotic worlds. The elemental composition of organisms is a set of constraints through which all the Earth’s biogeochemical cycles must pass. All organisms consume nutrients and acquire compounds from the environment proportional to their needs. Organismal elemental needs are determined in turn by the energy required to live and grow, the physical and chemical constraints of their environment, and their requirements for relatively large polymeric biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, lipids, and proteins, as well as for structural needs including stems, bones, shells, etc. These materials together constitute most of the biomass of living organisms. Although there may be little variability in elemental ratios of many of these biomolecules, changing the proportions of different biomolecules can have important effects on organismal elemental composition. Consequently, the variation in elemental composition both within and across organisms can be tremendous, which has important implications for Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. It has been over a decade since the publication of Sterner and Elser’s book, Ecological Stoichiometry (2002). In the intervening years, hundreds of papers on stoichiometric topics ranging from evolution and regulation of nutrient content in organisms, to the role of stoichiometry in populations, communities, ecosystems and global biogeochemical dynamics have been published. Here, we present a collection of contributions from the broad scientific community to highlight recent insights in the field of Ecological Stoichiometry.
Soil Nitrogen Ecology by Cristina Cruz,Kanchan Vishwakarma,Devendra Kumar Choudhary,Ajit Varma Pdf
This book highlights the latest discoveries about the nitrogen cycle in the soil. It introduces the concept of nitrogen fixation and covers important aspects of nitrogen in soil and ecology such as its distribution and occurrence, soil microflora and fauna and their role in N-fixation. The importance of plant growth-promoting microbes for a sustainable agriculture, e.g. arbuscular mycorrhizae in N-fixation, is discussed as well as perspectives of metagenomics, microbe-plant signal transduction in N-ecology and related aspects. This book enables the reader to bridge the main gaps in knowledge and carefully presents perspectives on the ecology of biotransformations of nitrogen in soil.
Author : Ana E. Escalante,Michael Travisano Publisher : Frontiers Media SA Page : 121 pages File Size : 47,8 Mb Release : 2017-04-13 Category : Electronic book ISBN : 9782889451432
Conflict and Cooperation in Microbial Societies by Ana E. Escalante,Michael Travisano Pdf
The most evident aspect of biodiversity is the variety of complex forms and behaviors among organisms, both living and extinct. Comparative molecular and physiological studies show that the evolution of complex phenotypic traits involves multiple levels of biological organization (i.e. genes, chromosomes, organelles, cells, individual organisms, species, etc.). Regardless of the specific molecular mechanisms and details, the evolution of different complex biological organizations share a commonality: cooperation and conflict among the parts of the biological unit under study. The potential for conflict among parts is abundant. How then do complex systems persist, given the necessity of cooperative behavior for their maintenance, when the potential for conflict occurs across all levels of biological organization? In this Research Topic and eBook we present ideas and work on the question, how coexistence of biological components at different levels of organization persists in the face of antagonistic, conflicting or even exploitative behavior of the parts? The goal of this topic is in presenting examples of cooperation and conflict at different levels of biological organization to discuss the consequences that this “tension” have had in the diversification and emergence of novel phenotypic traits. Exemplary cases are studies investigating: the evolution of genomes, formation of colonial aggregates of cells, biofilms, the origin and maintenance of multicellular organisms, and the stable coexistence of multispecies consortia producing a cooperative product. Altogether, we hope that the contributions to this Research Topic build towards mechanistic knowledge of the biological phenomenon of coexistence in the face of conflict. We believe that knowledge on the mechanisms of the origin and evolutionary maintenance of cooperation has implications beyond evolutionary biology such as novel approaches in controlling microbial infections in medicine and the modes by studies in synthetic biology are conducted when designing economically important microbial consortia.
Aridland Springs in North America by Lawrence E. Stevens,Vicky J. Meretsky Pdf
A collection of articles on the ecology of North American desert springs, by authors from the fields of biology, botany, ichthyology, conservation, geology and law; and covering both the special traits of springs and the ways in which they might be managed in order to survive.