Geochemistry and microbiology of tropical serpentine soils in the Santa Elena Ophiolite, a landscape-geographical approach.

The Santa Elena Ophiolite in the north-west of Costa Rica is an ultramafic system comprised mainly of peridotites, exposed to active laterite formation processes accelerated by the tropical climatic conditions of the region. However, despite their well-studied geology, the resulting serpentine soils are still poorly understood both in their geochemical composition and in the microbial communities that they host. The aim of this study was to characterise these two interlinked factors, relating them to contrasting landscapes in the region and their characteristic soil types and vegetation cover.The authors declare that all the biological samples were collected and DNA was accessed under the authorised permission given to Agustin Francisco Solano Arguedas by Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG) and by Comision Nacional para la Gestion de la Biodiversidad Costa Rica (CONAGEBIO), Ministerio de Ambiente y Energia (MINAE) of the Government of Costa Rica.