Research ArticleOpen accessEvery word in the titleHYPOLITHIC CYANOBACTERIA COLONIZATION OF QUARTZ AT SOUTH DESERTRoda F. Al-ThaniHypolithic microbial communities (found underneath rocks) were encountered in the southern desert of Qatar where quartz rocks are ubiquitous and are a substrate for hypoliths. These hypoliths thrive where extreme temperature, moisture stress and high light intensity limit the occurrence of higher plants and animal life. A small-scale ecological survey indicated that 80% of the quartz rocks in the area … …OnLine Journal of Biological Sciences, Vol. 14, Issue 1 · 11 Feb 2014 · 7,302 accessesView PDFCite