Tropical drylands are characterized by extreme environmental conditions that, coupled with anthropogenic habitat degradation, can limit the occurrence of native species. Species that are most sensitive to these pressures may be prone to disappear in the context of climate change. In this study, we evaluated the influence of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the occurrence of large mammals and birds at the Tatacoa Desert, an arid region in central Colombia. We tested the relationship between the magnitude of the species’ responses to environmental, human-related variables and to body mass, and percentage of carnivory. Overall, we found a positive association between forest cover and the occupancy of the largest mammals (> 8kg), negative associations between solar radiation and human footprint with individual species occupancy, and a positive association of species occupancy with distance to touristic sites. Our results suggest that the largest and/or more carnivore species may be affected positively by forest cover and negatively by intense solar radiation highlighting the consequences of the increasing process of desertification on large mammals and birds at the upper Magdalena River basin of Colombia under the current scenario of global climate change.

The emerging breakthroughs in space exploration, smart textiles, and novel automobile designs have increased technological demand for high temperature electronics. In this snapshot review we first discuss the fundamental challenges in achieving electronic operation at elevated temperatures, briefly review current efforts in finding materials that can sustain extreme heat, and then highlight the emergence of organic semiconductors as a new class of materials with potential for high temperature electronics applications. Through an overview of the state-of-the art materials designs and processing methods, we will layout molecular design principles and fabrication strategies towards achieving thermally stable operation in organic electronics.

Mosses have adapted to the Antarctic environment and are an ideal medium for studying plant resistance to abiotic stress. Chalcone synthase is the first committed enzyme in the flavonoid metabolic pathway, which plays an indispensable role in plant resistance to adversity. In this study, six genes (Pn021, PnCHS088, Pn270, PnCHS444, PnCHS768 and Pn847) were identified in the Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans Lindberg transcriptome by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). Sequence alignment and three-dimensional structure analysis revealed the conserved amino acid residues of the enzymes of the chalcone synthase family, including three catalytic residues (Cys164, His303 and Asn336) and two substrate recognition residues (Phe215 and Phe265). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PnCHS088, PnCHS444 and PnCHS768 might be chalcone synthase but that Pn021 is more like stilbenecarboxylate synthase. These genes were located at the transition between fungi and advanced plants in the phylogenetic tree. In addition, real-time PCR analysis revealed that the expression profiles of the six P. nutans genes were influenced by diverse abiotic stresses as well as by abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate. The results presented here contribute to the study of the CHS gene family in polar mosses and further reveal the mechanisms underlying the adaptation of mosses to extreme environments.

This article discusses radiocarbon dating results for soils and soil-like systems in the East Antarctic oases, including Schirmacher, Thala Hills, and Larsemann Hills. The organic matter of endolithic and hypolithic systems, soils of wind shelters, and soils under moss-algae vegetation were dated along with micro- and macroprofiles. Organic matter pools formed under extreme climatic conditions and originated not from vascular plants but from cryptogamic organisms, and photoautotrophic microbes have been identified within the oases of the East Antarctica. The organic matter of the most of East Antarctic soils is young and cannot reach a steady state because of the high dynamism in the soil cover due to active erosion. The oldest soil organic matter in East Antarctica was found in the soils formed in wind shelters and endolithic soil-like systems under the protection of consolidated rock surfaces. According to our data, the maximal duration for the formation of organic matter profiles within the oases of East Antarctica is ~500 yr, which is similar to the age determined for High Arctic soils in Eurasia. The absence of older soils, comparable with the Holocene deglaciation, can be due to the extreme conditions resulting in occasional catastrophic events that destroyed the soil organic horizons.

Sponges are rare in extreme environments, and very little is known about their adaptations to such settings. Evidence from two species in a marine-derived midwater stratified crater lake on Satonda Island (Sumbawa, Indonesia) suggests their production of gemmules (resting bodies), a rare trait in marine sponges but common in freshwater forms, may be a survival mechanism in the lake's harsh environment. With its epilimnion hydrochemistry—characterized by changing alkalinity, salinity, and O2 levels over the region's wet and dry seasons—the lake sustains only a few marine macroscopic organisms, among them the suberitid sponges Protosuberites lacustris comb. nov. and Suberites sp. (Hadromerida: Suberitida). Both species belong to the same group as sponges reported from other marine-derived lakes with strongly varying and extreme environmental (especially chemical) parameters. The morphological characters, taxonomic position, ecological adaptations, environmental conditions, and biota associated with the sponges in this ecologically unique site are presented here.

Microbes, particularly Archaea, are well-known for their superb adaptation to extreme environments. However, amazing adaptations to extreme stresses do not only occur in microbes, but also in many multicellular organisms. Examples include tardigrades and their capability to survive freezing to near absolute zero, the Pompeii worm withstanding temperatures of up to 105°C, the Crucian carp remaining active in anoxic conditions for several months, and resurrection plants, which can survive near-complete desiccation. Here, we review some of the cryptobiotic strategies and adaptations exhibited in multicellular organisms, and point out their relevance to astrobiology.