ERC Advanced Grant · 2024
Windows of microbial activity in deserts afforded by non-rain water
Soil microorganisms are essential drivers of ecosystem processes in drylands that cover ~40% of the Earth’s landmasses. It is widely accepted that microbial activity in arid deserts is confined to rare, short and unpredictable rain pulses. Yet, water could be available for soil microorganism by other processes, such as dew formation, fog deposition and water vapor adsorption. These so-called non-rain water inputs represent significant sources of water, as they are more frequent and reliable. Yet, it is unknown if desert soil microorganism can utilize these water sources for reactivation, nor the associated microbial activities they facilitate and their overall contribution to…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.