Cyanobacterial Diversity in the Soils of Russian Dry Steppes and Semideserts

Abstract

Taxonomic diversity of cyanobacterial communities in solonetz, meadow, chestnut, and brown semidesert soils of the zone of dry steppes and semideserts in three regions of Russia (Kalmyk Republic and Volgograd and Astrakhan oblasts) was studied. Cyanobacterial communities of the solonetz and chestnut soils were shown to be similar in structure, with predominance of the orders Nostocales and Synechococcales, while the similarity between meadow and brown semidesert soils was the lowest. Morphological and molecular genetic analysis revealed members of the genera Desmonostoc, Hassallia, Komvophoron, Nodosilinea, Pseudanabaena, and Rhabdoderma, which have not been previously detected in the soils of these types.