Aguilera, A., Olsson, S., Puente Sánchez, F. 2016. Physiological and Phylogenetic Diversity of Acidophilic Eukaryotes. Acidophiles: Life in Extremely Acidic Environments, 107-118.
The study of extremely acidic environments has grown significantly over the past 50 years. Highly acidic environments are generally unfavourable for the growth of photosynthetic organisms. However, these ecosystems are usually inhabited by acidophilic and acid-tolerant eukaryotic microorganisms such as algae, amoeba, ciliates, heliozoa and rotifers, as well as fungi and yeasts. This chapter provides an overview of our knowledge of the diversity and ecophysiology of eukaryotic acidophilic microorganisms, as well as summarizing recent data from one of the most extensive extreme acidic environments, the Rio Tinto, Spain.
