Cryosphere Microbiome Biobanks for Mountain Glaciers in China

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.