Stone surfaces are extreme environments that support microbial life. This microbial growth occurs despite unfavourable conditions associated with stone including limited sources of nutrients and water, high pH and exposure to extreme variations in temperature, humidity and irradiation. These stone‐dwelling microbes are often resistant to extreme environments including exposure to desiccation, heavy metals, UV and Gamma irradiation. Here, we report on the effects of climate and stone geochemistry on microbiomes of Roman stone ruins in North Africa. Stone microbiomes were dominated by Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria but were heavily impacted by climate variables that influenced water availability. Stone geochemistry also influenced community diversity, particularly through biologically available P, Mn and Zn. Functions associated with photosynthesis and UV protection were enriched in the metagenomes, indicating the significance of these functions for community survival on stones. Core members of the stone microbial communities were also identified and included Geodermatophilaceae, Rubrobacter, Sphingomonas and others. Our research has helped to expand the understanding of stone microbial community structure and functional capacity within the context of varying climates, geochemical properties and stone conditions.

中文翻译：

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阐明居住在石头上的微生物群系中的生态网络

石材表面是支持微生物生命的极端环境。尽管与石材相关的不利条件（包括有限的养分和水源，高pH值以及暴露于温度，湿度和辐射的极端变化），仍会发生这种微生物生长。这些居住在石头上的微生物通常对极端环境具有抵抗力，包括暴露于干燥，重金属，紫外线和伽马射线辐射。在这里，我们报告了气候和石头地球化学对北非罗马石头废墟微生物群落的影响。石头微生物群以放线菌，蓝细菌和变形杆菌为主导，但受到影响水可利用性的气候变量的严重影响。石头的地球化学也影响了群落的多样性，特别是通过生物上可利用的磷，锰和锌。与光合作用和紫外线防护有关的功能丰富了元基因组，表明这些功能对于石头上的社区生存具有重要意义。还确定了石头微生物群落的核心成员，其中包括嗜地皮科（Gerdermatophilaceae），红杆菌，鞘氨醇单胞菌等。我们的研究有助于在变化的气候，地球化学性质和石材条件的背景下扩大对石材微生物群落结构和功能能力的了解。