The environmental factors that control the activity, viability, and composition of microbial communities within arid and hyperarid soils of the Atacama Desert, Chile

This study investigates the microbial activity, viability, and community composition in arid and hyperarid soils of the Atacama Desert, and identifies the environmental conditions impacting those communities. Measurements of soil organic matter (SOM), carbon, nitrogen, pH, and eC were performed, as were analyses of microbial viability, composition, and activity. The results of this study will highlight the environmental conditions that impact microbial communities in arid and hyperarid soils of the Atacama Desert, and the effects those conditions have on the microbial communities within thetwo regions.