In Chile’s Atacama, often described as the world’s driest desert, scientists have uncovered hidden life thriving beneath the surface. New research shows that even in this driest desert, soil ecosystems support diverse and active communities of microscopic worms, challenging long-held assumptions about how much life such harsh land can sustain.
An international team led by the University of Cologne studied nematodes, tiny roundworms that live in soil. The Atacama receives very little rainfall. Its soils contain high salt levels.
Temperatures can shift sharply, and some areas face intense ultraviolet radiation. While plants and animals above ground have been partly documented, soil life has remained largely understudied.
The researchers analyzed 112 soil samples from six regions across the desert. The sites included sand dunes, river valleys, high mountains, saline lake shores and fog-fed oases.
From these samples, scientists identified 393 nematode forms and retained 386 genetic sequences for analysis. In total, they recorded at least 36 genera from 21 families, showing that roundworms are widespread across different desert habitats.
How the driest desert reveals its hidden life
Nematodes play a key role in soil health. They regulate bacteria, support nutrient cycling and help indicate how stable a soil ecosystem is.
Philipp Schiffer of the University of Cologne’s Institute of Zoology said soils are essential for storing carbon and supplying nutrients, yet data from extreme deserts remain limited. Studying multicellular soil animals in such environments is therefore critical, he explained.
The study found that biodiversity patterns follow environmental gradients. Areas with more rainfall supported a greater number of genera. Temperature variation also influenced diversity.
Statistical models showed that mean annual precipitation and temperature range were strong predictors of genus richness. Elevation emerged as the main factor linked to reproductive strategy.
Climate, elevation and survival strategies
At higher altitudes, nematodes were more likely to reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis. Laboratory cultures confirmed that several lineages could reproduce without males. This pattern supports the idea that asexual reproduction can provide an advantage in marginal or extreme habitats.
Community structure also varied by location. Some areas shared many nematode families, while others differed sharply. In certain regions, simplified soil food webs suggested vulnerability to disturbance.
The results show that stable soil communities can persist even under severe aridity. As global aridity increases, understanding how biodiversity responds in the driest desert may help scientists predict how other dry regions will cope with environmental change.
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