Cowan, Don A.Khan, NuraanDept. of BiotechnologyFaculty of Science2014-02-072024-05-092010/03/302010/03/302014-02-072024-05-092008https://hdl.handle.net/10566/13511Philosophiae Doctor - PhDThe Eastern Antarctic Dry Valley region is a polar desert, where conditions of extreme aridity, high temperature fluctuations and high irradiation levels make it one of the most extreme environments on earth. Despite the harsh environment, the soils in this region yield a wide range of bacterial and eukaryotic phylotypes in greater abundance than previously believed. In the Dry Valleys, highly localized niche communities colonise the underside of translucent quartz rocks and present macroscopic growth.enAntarctic soilMicrobiologyMicrobial diversityAntarcticaDry ValleysThesisUniversity of the Western Cape