Geochemistry and microbiology of tropical serpentine soils in the Santa Elena Ophiolite, a landscape-biogeographical approach.

The Santa Elena Ophiolite is a well-studied ultramafic system in Costa Rica mainly comprised of peridotites. Here, tropical climatic conditions promote active laterite formation processes, but the biogeochemistry of the resulting serpentine soils is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the soil geochemical composition and microbial community of contrasting landscapes in the area, as the foundation to start exploring the biogeochemistry of metals occurring there.