Fig 1.
Location of sampling sites and geochemical characteristics of soils. (a) Sampling site in the Dalangtan Play, western Qaidam Basin (Made with Natural Earth). (b) Image of the desert pavement for sampling. (c) Soil samples with visible green microbial assemblages under translucent rocks. (d) FTIR spectra in the range of 400–4,000 cm−1 of bare soils (YP) beside rocks and soils below rocks (YX1-3). Bands in the region of 2,800–3,000 cm−1 denote different vibrational modes from aliphatic C-H bonds, and peaks at ~1,600 cm−1 denote the vibrations of unsaturated C=C bonds in aromatic materials.