Research
Saharan dust brings unexpected passengers to the Amazon rainforest
Earth.com · By Andrei Ionescu ·
The Brief
- Earth.com reports that Saharan dust carries microbes and debris into the air above the Amazon rainforest.
- Microscope examination of the air above the Amazon shows pollen, fungal spores, plant debris and bacteria.
- The source notes that the fungal community is usually stable there, while bacterial communities vary with height and time.
Why it matters
It documents long-distance transport of airborne microbes and debris between continents, which is relevant to how atmospheric particles may shape rainforest ecosystems.
Who’s affected
- atmospheric and microbial ecologists
- researchers studying Amazon rainforest ecosystems
- #saharan dust
- #amazon
- #airborne microbes
- #atmosphere
- #microbiology
The air above the Amazon rainforest looks calm from the ground. Under a microscope, it’s teeming with pollen, fungal spores, plant debris, and bacteria. The fungal community is usually remarkably stable, while bacterial communities vary with height and time. But during five days…