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Arid ecosystem: future option for carbon sinks using microbial community intelligence

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Title Arid ecosystem: future option for carbon sinks
using microbial community intelligence
 
Creator Agarwal, Leena
Qureshi, Asifa
Kalia, Vipin Chandra
Kapley, Atya
Purohit, H J
Singh, R N
 
Subject Environmental Biotechnology
Microbiology
 
Description Desert, comprising one-third of the Earth’s surface, was a synonym for ‘no life’ as it supports very
less or no life due to nutritional stress and extreme weather. Microbial autotrophic biochemistry is
the principal source of carbon in arid environment, but understanding of these processes in arid
ecosystem is limited. Emerging molecular tools have identified associations of phototrophic and
chemolithoautotrophic communities often termed as ‘biological soil crust’ or ‘microbiotic crust’.
They are the sole sources of carbon and nitrogen, collectively providing soil stability to support
vegetation. Here the curiosity arises, whether this phenomenon could be exploited in deserts for
carbon sink using microbial community intelligence. By following the precipitation event under
regulated nutrient supply that promotes the soil microbial intelligence for autotrophy would enrich
soil carbon and nitrogen which in turn support plant growth in desert. Additionally, bioaugmentation
of rhizobacteria could enhance the process. This will enable us to refine and formulate our
strategies to exploit CO2-fixing microorganisms in such niches vis-à-vis supporting the carbon sink
using microbial community intelligence.
 
Publisher Indian Academy of Sciences
 
Date 2014-05-25
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://neeri.csircentral.net/632/1/CurrentSci_AridReview_Leena.pdf
Agarwal, Leena and Qureshi, Asifa and Kalia, Vipin Chandra and Kapley, Atya and Purohit, H J and Singh, R N (2014) Arid ecosystem: future option for carbon sinks using microbial community intelligence. CURRENT SCIENCE, 106 (10). pp. 1357-1364. ISSN 0011-3891
 
Relation http://www.currentscience.ac.in/
http://neeri.csircentral.net/632/