Data_Sheet_4_Microbial Ecology of Qatar, the Arabian Gulf: Possible Roles of Microorganisms.docx

The Arabian Gulf ranks among the world’s most arid and warm regions; the land has high salinity levels with many Sabkhas and receives little precipitation. This region holds about one-third of the world’s oil supply. Qatar is the leading gas producer worldwide, which raises many concerns about the pollution of the sea, groundwater, and soil. Thus, the Arabian Gulf area has paid particular attention to environmental studies since the environmental status of this region imposed unique biological diversity, and microbial ecology has gained special importance following the identification of promising roles of microorganisms. This review article discusses the microbial ecology at the main habitats of the State of Qatar. We discuss important principles for successful ecological restoration and future perspectives of using biological approaches to solve many problems related to health, the economy, and agriculture. There are at least five microbial communities that have been recognized at the Qatari habitats: marine environment, salt marshes and mangrove forests, the arid lands (including dune communities), wetlands (including pond communities), and Rawdahs (including the Ghaf tree communities). Although, the environmental conditions of this region are almost the same, these habitats are compared with those at other countries of the Arabian Gulf whenever necessary, as each habitat has its own peculiar characteristics. Some case studies are presented to describe the biochemical characterizations of bacterial isolates from soils and leaf surface of native plants, including halophytes and xerophytes at these habitats. These studies rarely went beyond the general identification at species levels. There is a discussion about the possible roles of microorganisms at the rhizosphere, non-rhizosphere, and phyllosphere, and using plant exudates to control microbial activity. However, modern approach (culture-independent methods) addressing these topics has opened the door for deeper investigations, and to explore the roles played by microorganisms at these habitats. These methods have already begun during the last decade as serious step to solve many environmental issues. In the future, it is very likely that microorganisms will be used to tackle many pollution issues, as well as health, agricultural, and economic problems.

阿拉伯湾（Arabian Gulf）是全球最为干旱炎热的区域之一，其陆地盐度偏高，分布着大量萨布哈盐沼（Sabkhas）且降水稀缺。该区域蕴藏着全球约三分之一的石油储量。卡塔尔是全球领先的天然气生产国，由此引发了诸多针对海洋、地下水与土壤污染的担忧。鉴于该区域的环境状况孕育了独特的生物多样性，且随着微生物潜在重要作用的探明，微生物生态学（microbial ecology）愈发受到重视，阿拉伯湾地区也因此格外关注环境研究。本综述文章探讨了卡塔尔国主要生境中的微生物生态学，阐述了成功生态修复的核心原则，以及利用生物途径解决健康、经济与农业领域诸多问题的未来展望。目前在卡塔尔的各类生境中已至少识别出五类微生物群落：海洋环境、盐沼与红树林、干旱陆地（含沙丘群落）、湿地（含池塘群落）以及拉瓦达草原（Rawdahs，含 Ghaf 树群落）。尽管该区域整体环境条件相近，但在必要时我们会将这些生境与阿拉伯湾其他国家的同类生境进行对比，因为每一类生境都具备其独特的属性。本文还呈现了若干案例研究，对这些生境中盐生植物（halophytes）与旱生植物（xerophytes）等本土植物的土壤及叶表面分离细菌进行生化特性解析。此类研究大多仅停留在物种水平的一般性鉴定阶段。此外，本文还讨论了微生物在根际、非根际及叶际（phyllosphere）中可能发挥的作用，以及利用植物根系分泌物调控微生物活动的相关思路。不过，用于此类研究的现代非培养方法（culture-independent methods）已为更深入的探究打开了大门，有助于揭示微生物在这些生境中所扮演的角色。这类方法在过去十年间已作为解决诸多环境问题的重要手段得到应用。展望未来，微生物极有可能被用于应对各类污染问题，以及健康、农业与经济领域的诸多难题。