Background Basalt is the most common igneous rock on the Earth's surface covering. Basalt-
associated microorganisms drive the cycling and sequestration of different elements such as …

DNA sequencing techniques and molecular and phylogenetic analyses have developed
rapidly over a short time, finding application in fields across biology and medicine. The field …

Microbial colonization, followed by succession, on newly exposed volcanic substrates
represents the beginning of the development of an early ecosystem. During early …

Bio-signatures play a central role in determining whether life existed on early Mars. Using a
terrestrial basalt as a compositional analog for the martian surface, we applied a …

Because microbes cannot be eliminated from radioactive waste disposal facilities, the
consequences of bio-colonization must be understood. At a pre-Viking era vitrified hillfort …

Although research on microbial biogeography has made great progress in the past decade,
distributions of terrestrial microbial communities in extreme environments such as Antarctica …

In nutrient limited soils, minerals constitute a major reservoir of bio-essential elements.
Consequently, the release of nutritive elements during weathering is crucial. Bacteria have …

In soils characterized by nutrient-poor conditions trees have developed strategies to
maximize the exploration of the environment through their root system. Notably, in shallow …

The dissolution of minerals plays an important role in the formation of soils and sediments. In
nutrient limiting soils, minerals constitute a major reservoir of bio-essential cations. Of …

Summary The Sergyemla Mountains have unique timberline patterns. Abies georgei var.
smithii (Viguie & Gaussen) and Juniperus saltuaria (Rehder & EH Wilson) dominate the …