The Central Andean Altiplane represents a unique extreme environment due to its high altitude, closed basins that modulate the salt pans and saline wetlands surrounded by deserts, as well as the considerable influence of volcanic activity. UV radiation, arsenic content, high salinity, alkalinity and low dissolved oxygen levels, together with extreme daily temperature fluctuations and oligotrophic conditions, shape an environment that resembles the early Earth and, even more, extraterrestrial conditions. By developing simple biofilms stratified microbial mats or complex microbialites, extreme microbial ecosystems, colonize and thrived in different environments like salt flats, wetlands, lakes volcano vents, geysers and deserts. This book presents our current understanding of these amazing ecosystems, providing a basis for their protection and sustainable utilization. The main audience for this book included researchers and graduate students as well as professionals working in the government, mining industry and similar activities.

Section I - General considerations

Chap 1 - Introduction Maria Eugenia Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 2 - Origin and evolution of the central Andes: deserts, salars lakes and volcanoes R.Alonso (U. Nacional de Salta, Argentina) and W. Rojas (Eramine Sudámerica S.A., Argentina)
Chap 3 - Modern microbilies mats and endovaporite system in Andean lakes: a general approach Maria Eugenia Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Section II - Preandean and andean atacam desert: life at limits
Chap 4 - Desert polyextreme environment and lithobiontic habitats J. Wierzchos, C. Ascaso, O. Artieda and M.C. Casero (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spain).-  Chap 5 - Desert microbiology J. Di Ruggiero (Johns Hopkins University, USA) and M.C. Casero (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spain)
Chap 6 - Desert biosignatures P. Vitek (The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic) and J. Wierzchos (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Spain)
Chap 7 - Microbial characterization of Andean Vega's soil C. Belfiore, M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina) and M. Contreras (Centro de Ecología Aplicada, Chile)
Section III - Life in Andean Volcanoes and Fumaroles.-  Chap 8 - Limits to microbial life at the altitudinal and dry extremes for life on Earth at Llullaillaco and Socompa Volcacones S. Scmidt and P. Sowell (University of Colorado, USA)
Chap 9 - The biogeochemistry of microorganisms in the geothermal features of El Tatio Geyser Field, Chile K.D. Myers (Columbia University, USA), A.S. Angel (University of Tennessee, USA) and P.C. Bennett (The University of Texas at Austin, USA).-  Chap 10 - The unique holoarchea dominated biofilms associated Diamante Lake inside Galan Volcanoes Microbialites N. Rascova (Aix Marseille Université, France) and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina).-  Section IV - Endoevaporites and Mats in Salars and Wetlands
Chap 11 - Endoevaporites dominated by Arquea at Laguna Tebenquiche M.C. Rasuk (LIMLA, Argentina), Pieter V. (University of Connecticut, USA), A.B. Fernández (University of Sevilla, Spain) and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina).-  Chap 12 - Rare microbial biosphere in Salar de Huasco: hyperdiversity in polyextreme aquatic ecosystem C. Dorador, N. Miranda, V. Ávalos (Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile), V. Molina (Universidad de Playa Ancha, Chile) and M. Hengst (Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile)
Chap 13 - Microbiome of evaporites  and microbial mats in the Salar de Llamara, Atacama desert M. Rasuk and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 14 - Microbial diversity in athalassohaline Argentinean salterns M.R. Mora-Ruiz and R. Rosselló-Móra (Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies, Spain).-  Section V - Microbialites at lakes
Chap 15 - Physicochemical and microbiological processes in carbonate precipitation in hypersaline lakes: the laguna Negra case F.J. Gomez (Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Terra, Argentina), L.C. Kah (University of Tennessee, USA), C. Mlewski, F.J. Boidi (Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Terra, Argentina) and E. Gerard (Université Paris Diderot, France)
Chap 16 - Microbialites Laguna Socompa V. Albarracin and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 17 - Microbialites oncolites and mats at Laguna La Brava P. Visscher (University of Connecticut, USA), M. Contreras (Centro de Ecologia Aplicada, Chile) and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 18 - Modern microbiolites of Pozo Bravo lake, Salas de Antofalla, Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca A.I. Lencina,  M.N. Soria (PROIMI, Argentina), R. Palma (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina) and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Section VI - Extremolites: microbes surviving in Andean microbial ecosystems
Chap 19 - Light sensing and mechanisms of adaptation to high solar irradiation V.H. Albarracín, M. Gorriti, L. Portero, F. Zannier (PROIMI, Argentina), W. Gärtner (Max Planck Institute, Germany) and M.E. Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 20 - Linear megaplasmids spreading the Andean Resistome M.F. Perez and J.R. Dib (LIMLA, Argentina)
Chap 21 - Arsenic: Not as bad as it sounds Visscher (University of Connecticut, USA), Gallagher, Contreras (Centro de Ecologia Aplicada, Chile), Farias (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina), Philippot (Univesité Paris Diderot, France), Sancho-Tomas and Somogyi (Synchroton Soleil, France)
Section VII -  Prospecting and protecting singular ecosystems
Chap 22 - Conservation of extremophile communities in complex ecosystems  M. Contreras (Centro de Ecologia Aplicada, Chile)
Chap 23 - Integral prospection of Andean Microbial Ecosystem Project M.E Farias (LIMLA, Argentina)
Index.-