Contrasting Extremes: Microbial Diversity in Biocrusts from the Atacama Desert and Patagonian Landscapes of Chile

This project characterizes microbial diversity in biological soil crusts (biocrusts) collected along a >3,000 km latitudinal gradient in Chile, spanning hyperarid Atacama Desert to subantarctic Patagonia. Using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing, we investigate how edaphoclimatic extremes (e.g., pH, salinity, total carbon, exchangeable aluminum) shape bacterial and fungal community structure, functional traits, and indicator taxa. Our findings reveal taxonomic divergence and partial functional redundancy, highlighting potential for site-adapted microbial consortia in ecological restoration of extreme or degraded soils.