Kinetics and pathways of hypolithon microbial community development

Type I hypolithons are Cyanobacteria-dominated microbial communities adhering to the ventral surfaces of semi-translucent rocks in desert pavements, where they find shelter from the abiotic stresses of the desert soil surface. However, despite their importance as key players in soil nutrient cycling, very little is known about hypolithon growth rates and community development pathways. The aim of this study was, therefore, to quantitate the dynamics of hypolithon formation in the pavements of the Namib Desert using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.