Abstract
The glaciers in China have an important role as one of the most climate-sensitive constituents of the Tibetan Plateau which is known as the Asian Water Tower. Although the cryosphere is one of the most extreme environments for organisms, the soils of the glacier foreland harbor surprisingly rich microbiomes. A large amount of accelerated glacier retreat accompanied by global warming will not only raise the sea level, but it will also lead to the massive release of a considerable amount of carbon stored in these glaciers. The responses of glacier microbiomes could alter the biogeochemical cycle of carbon and have a complex impact on climate change. Thus, understanding present-day and future glacier microbiome changes is crucial to assess the feedback on climate change and the impacts on ecosystems. To this end, we discuss here the diversity and biogeochemical functions of the microbiomes in Chinese mountain glacier ecosystems.
Highlights
Glaciers are a major component of the cryosphere, which is one of the five major spheres of the climate system [1]
The community structure and functions of these microorganisms are affected by the physicochemical properties of the glaciers, which are closely related to climate and environmental changes [9–13]
The dominant taxon in the surface snow and meltwater from Qiyi Glacier in the Qilian Mountains was Bacteroidetes [88]. This shows that the geographic location of the glacier has an impact on the bacterial community structure because of the distinctly different climatic and nutritional conditions [94,95]
Summary
Glaciers are a major component of the cryosphere, which is one of the five major spheres of the climate system [1]. The glacier environment is cold, nutrient-poor, and receives a large amount of UV radiation, it still harbors diverse and active microorganisms [3–5] The microorganisms in this important ecosystem are involved in the biogeochemical cycles of various elements, including carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur [6–8]. China has the largest and most numerous glaciers in the middle- and low-latitude regions of the world [20,21] These mountain glaciers tend to melt because their temperatures are usually equal to or exceed the melting point of ice. When glacier ice melts, newly exposed habitats are formed, with diverse microbial communities. We discuss the interactions between the microbial community of mountain glaciers and the changing climate from the involvement of microbes in carbon biogeochemical cycle, highlighting the importance of understanding the ecological implications of climate change and glacier melting
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
