Cyanobacterial crust types, as strategies for survival in extreme habitats.

Cryptobiotic crusts are important part of the mostly open, extreme terrestrial ecosystems. Their main components are the Cyanobacteria, therefore their strategies for survival can be traced down through the investigation of the cyanobacterial components and their different arrangement in the structure of the different crust types. In this study, 10 terricolous and 12 rupicolous types/subtypes were established from the samples collected in 5 continents from deserts to forest areas during the past 6 years. Each type is illustrated and their main cyanobacterial components are enumerated through examples and their survival strategies are analysed.

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