Endolithic colonization in gypsum habitats at Salar de Pajonales, northern of Chile

We present a study on the microbial, mineralogical, textural, and elemental composition of fosil gypsum stromatolites. These stromatolites were compared with crusts, other gypsum habitats, situated in the southeast part of Salar de Pajonales, and sediments within the same system. Notably, water content and mineralogical properties of the samples play a crucial role in determining colonization patterns in gypsum at SP. Our primary objective is to compare the endolithic communities across different gypsum material-bearing units using various biogeochemical techniques.