Impact of anthropogenic activities on the sediment microbial communities of Baiyangdian shallow lake

Microorganisms are recognized as sensors of external disturbance in freshwater ecosystems.In this study,sediment samples from regions with strong human activity interference(four sites),moderate human activity interference(five sites) and minor human activity interference(five sites) in Baiyangdian Lake were collected;and their physiological and chemical properties and heavy metals contents were analyzed.The structures of bacterial and fungal communities were tested using 16 S ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid(rRNA) and Internal Transcribed Spacer 2(ITS2) high-throughput sequencing technologies.The results indicated that Proteobacteria was the most abundant bacterial phylum.Ascomycota,Basidiomycota and Ciliophora were the dominant phyla of fungi.Obvious differences of microbial genera among the three regions we re obse rved,especially fungal genera.With intensified disturbance by human activities,the Simpson and Shannon indices of bacteria significantly decreased.The fungal communities were clustered into three groups in accordance with the different human disturbance levels.The bacterial communities of sediment samples under moderate and minor human disturbance appeared similar,but different from those under strong human disturbance.Redundancy analysis indicated that zinc,total phosphorus,copper,and lead were the dominant factors that influenced the bacterial community.Nitrifiers and sulfate-reducing bacteria were influenced by pH,nitrate(NO3),and total nitrogen.The fungal community was significantly affected by total phosphorus.This study reveals that sediment microbial community structures among different regions of a shallow lake are mainly impacted by human activities.     

Seasonal changes of microbial populations in the sediments of the basins of Lugano and Agno

This research was carried out with the aim to explore the heterotrophic microbial population of two sediments in different oxic conditions of the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The values of the viable bacterial counts found in our sediment samples were typical for an eutrophic lake.The increase in the proportion of anaerobic to aerobic bacteria at 30 °C observed in the sediment samples of Agno may reflect the depletion of oxygen concentrations in the water column.The generaAeromonas, Pseudomonas, Bacillus andClostridium, as well as strains belonging to the Coryneform-group, represented the major taxonomic groups of heterotrophic bacterial communities in the water-sediment interface.     

太湖水体和沉积物细菌群落分布格局及其驱动因素

水体和沉积物是湖泊生态系统中迥异但又紧密相连的两类生境,栖息在这两类生境中的细菌在维持生态系统平衡和驱动元素循环中起着关键性作用。为了探究湖泊水体和沉积物细菌群落的分布格局,本文对太湖四个湖区水体和沉积物中细菌群落进行调查,基于高通量测序技术和统计分析手段,分析这两类生境中的细菌群落组成和多样性水平、分布特征及其驱动因素。结果表明:放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和蓝细菌门(Cyanobacteria)是水体细菌群落中最主要的细菌门,而沉积物中Proteobacteria占据优势地位。在两类生境中,太湖西部区域细菌群落丰富度和独特性(LCBD)相对较高,各区域群落结构表现出显著性差异。对水体而言,电导率、pH值、PC1(重金属组成)和沉积物孔隙度是驱动细菌丰富度的重要因子,PC1、水温及pH值是影响细菌群落LCBD的重要因子,而细菌网络复杂性随pH值的增加而增加,且在高pH环境中占主导地位;对沉积物而言,其丰富度和LCBD的重要影响因子均是沉积物中总磷和锂,细菌网络复杂性随金属元素施加的环境压力增大而降低,但随总磷、磷酸盐和铵态氮浓度的...     

安徽升金湖越冬白头鹤（Grus monacha）肠道菌群组成的时间变化

肠道微生物对于维持动物消化道内环境的稳定具有重要意义,而肠道微生物菌群结构也受寄主食物成份等外界环境因素的影响.研究动物肠道微生物菌群结构可以更好地了解动物生活状况.以升金湖越冬白头鹤的粪便作为研究对象,以微生物16S rRNA的V3~V4区作为标记基因,进行高通量测序,分析升金湖越冬不同时期白头鹤肠道菌群结构的差异性.研究结果表明:升金湖越冬期不同时期白头鹤粪便样品中微生物多样性指数如香农威纳多样性指数和辛普森指数无显著性差异.但是越冬期不同阶段的粪便样品中菌群组成存在差异,主要包括:在门分类水平,越冬前期拟杆菌门含量较高,厚壁菌门含量较中后期低;越冬中期放线菌门含量较高;越冬后期变形菌门含量较高.在属分类水平,相对于其他两个时期,越冬前期普氏菌属(Prevotella)含量较高,越冬中期杆菌属(Lysinibacillus)含量较高,越冬后期梭菌属(Clostridium)含量较高,并且普氏菌属含量从越冬前期到中期、再到后期有明显的下降趋势,而梭菌属含量从越冬前期到中期、再到后期有明显的升高趋势.这些结果表明不同越冬时期白头鹤肠道菌群组成不同,越冬期不同阶段的食物变化可能作为一个影响因素.     

Discovery of bacteriopheophytin-a in lacustrine deposits from Lake Zigetang on the central Tibetan Plateau and its paleoenvironmental significance

Lake Zigetang is located on the central Tibetan Plateau(TP) and represents a rare but typical meromictic lake in China.The lake's stable meromixis sustains microflora communities, and changes in these communities are relatively independent of climate. Therefore, these communities can be used as paleoclimate proxies. In this paper, the stratification properties and their relationships with the microflora of Lake Zigetang were analyzed. We found that water depth and climate conditions were two important factors for maintaining meromixis in Lake Zigetang. Generally, stratification was enhanced during warm periods, while temperature differences between the mixolimnion and monimolimnion were decreased during cold periods. The presence of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria(APB) was demonstrated by the discovery of bacteriopheophytin-a(Bph-a) in the sediments.This bacterial community is mainly concentrated at the bottom of the chemocline and the top of the monimolimnion, where it forms a thin APB layer. Moreover, total APB productivity is mainly affected by the light intensity penetrating to the APB layer,which exponentially increases as the thermocline becomes shallow. Therefore, high Bph-a values in the lake corresponded to a shallow thermocline and warm periods, low Bph-a values corresponded to cold periods, and zero changes indicated that the water was completely mixed and reflected an extreme cold climate or low lake level period. Thus, Bph-a can be used as a climate proxy to reconstruct the history of lake stratification and climate changes.     

岱海水体及沉积物细菌多样性及群落组成特征

采用高通量测序技术,研究了内蒙古岱海流域入湖河流、湖水及沉积物细菌多样性及群落组成.结果显示,细菌多样性从高到低依次为：沉积物>河流>湖泊.聚类分析表明入湖河流、湖水和沉积物细菌群落可分为明显不同的3支,说明这3种生境中细菌群落结构有较大差异.物种注释结果表明,河流中优势细菌菌群为髌骨细菌(Patescibacteria)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和放线菌门(Actinobacteria);湖水中优势细菌菌群为放线菌门(Actinobacteria);而沉积物中优势细菌菌群为变形菌门和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi).典范对应分析及Monte Carlo检验表明,电导率和悬浮物含量对水体中(河流与湖泊)细菌群落影响显著,二者共解释了细菌群落变化的86.5%;而冗余分析及Monte Carlo检验表明,泥深、磁化率和总有机碳对沉积物中细菌群落影响显著,三者共解释了细菌群落变化的47.9%.近30年来,岱海地区气候变化和人类活动导致湖水咸化,沉积物碳氮指标显著增长.岱海水体及沉积物细菌多样性及群落组成的差异及其主要驱动因...     

Environmental impacts on the distribution of microbial tetraether lipids in Chinese lakes with contrasting pH: Implications for lacustrine paleoenvironmental reconstructions

Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers(GDGTs) in lake sediments are useful biomarkers for the continental paleoclimatic reconstruction. However, the environmental controls on the distribution of these compounds, in particular the 6-methyl isomers of bacterial branched GDGTs(bGDGTs), in the lakes with contrasting pH, are still unknown, hindering their application for paleo-reconstructions. Here, we investigated the environmental impacts on the distribution of GDGTs in 17 alkaline lakes and 1 acid lake in China. It was found that the dissolved oxygen content in water column may have an impact on the distribution of archaeal isoprenoid GDGTs(iGDGTs) by causing the change in archaeal communities. The ratio of GDGT-0/crenarchaeol increases with decreasing oxygen content, indicating that the relative abundance of anaerobic methanogenic archaea or Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotic Group(MCG) vs. aerobic Thaumarchaeota is controlled by the oxygen content dissolved in water of these lakes. Thaumarchaeota are likely to contribute only a small proportion of iGDGTs in the relatively oxygen-depleted lakes, and thus TEX_(86) is not suitable for the reconstruction of the surface temperature of these lakes. The abundance ratio of iGDGTs to bGDGTs(R_(i/b)) appears to show no relationship with water pH in all the lakes, but exhibits a significant positive correlation with the water depth of the acid Lake Qinghai in Tengchong. As expected, the methylation degree of bGDGTs(MBT′) was found to correlate with both mean annual air temperature(MAT) and water pH, and the cyclization degree of bGDGTs(CBT) correlates only with water pH in these lakes. However, the MBT′_(5ME), an index to measure the methylation degree of 5-methyl bGDGTs, exhibits no relationship with MAT, whereas MBT′_(6ME), the methylation degree of 6-methyl bGDGTs, was found to correlate significantly with MAT. This is opposite to the situation observed in the global soils, pointing to a different adaptation of b GDGT-producing bacteria to environmental variables or different microbial sources of bGDGTs in these lakes. The relative abundance of 6- vs. 5-methyl bGDGTs is controlled by pH in these lakes, similar to that observed in worldwide soils. Hence, the isomer ratio(IR) of 6-methyl bGDGTs or CBT′ can be used as a proxy for water pH, although they might be influenced by other environmental factors including temperature in the lakes with a narrow range of pH.     

新疆博斯腾湖浮游细菌丰度对富营养化及咸化的响应

本文以地处干旱地区我国最大的内陆淡水湖——博斯腾湖为研究对象,于2010年6月,在博斯腾湖大小湖区共选取23个采样点,采用表面荧光显微镜直接计数法( FDC)研究了水体中浮游细菌丰度的空间分布规律及其与环境因子的关系.结果表明:博斯腾湖水体中总氮(TN)浓度在0.26-1.45 mg/L之间变动(均值0.91 mg/L...     

Discovery of bacteriopheophytin-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis> in lacustrine deposits from Lake Zigetang on the central Tibetan Plateau and its paleoenvironmental significance

Lake Zigetang is located on the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) and represents a rare but typical meromictic lake in China. The lake’s stable meromixis sustains microflora communities, and changes in these communities are relatively independent of climate. Therefore, these communities can be used as paleoclimate proxies. In this paper, the stratification properties and their relationships with the microflora of Lake Zigetang were analyzed. We found that water depth and climate conditions were two important factors for maintaining meromixis in Lake Zigetang. Generally, stratification was enhanced during warm periods, while temperature differences between the mixolimnion and monimolimnion were decreased during cold periods. The presence of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APB) was demonstrated by the discovery of bacteriopheophytin-a (Bph-a) in the sediments. This bacterial community is mainly concentrated at the bottom of the chemocline and the top of the monimolimnion, where it forms a thin APB layer. Moreover, total APB productivity is mainly affected by the light intensity penetrating to the APB layer, which exponentially increases as the thermocline becomes shallow. Therefore, high Bph-a values in the lake corresponded to a shallow thermocline and warm periods, low Bph-a values corresponded to cold periods, and zero changes indicated that the water was completely mixed and reflected an extreme cold climate or low lake level period. Thus, Bph-a can be used as a climate proxy to reconstruct the history of lake stratification and climate changes.     

A comparative study of the hopanoid hydrocarbons in sediments of two lakes (Fuxian and Changdang) with contrasting environments

Biologically configured ββ-hopanes, geologically configured αβ-hopanes and the biogenic hopenes were determined in dated sediment cores from Lake Fuxian in SW China and Lake Changdang in Eastern China in order to investigate anthropogenic influences on the abundance, composition and provenance of hopanoid hydrocarbons in lake sediments. Based on the results, hopenes were prevalent, with maximum values reaching 148.9 μg g⁻¹ TOC in sediments of Lake Fuxian, an oligotrophic deep lake (average depth 89.6 m), where the long water column provided ample potential for the growth of hopene-producing bacteria especially the cyanobacteria. Sediment hopenes have diminished in abundance to values of 13.4–78.5 μg g⁻¹ TOC in Lake Changdang, a eutrophic shallow (average 0.8–1.2 m) body, reflecting comparatively reduced importance of nutrient level on hopene production. Historical trends in hopenes input to the sediments of each lake are strongly dependent on nutrient status. During the last few decades, human-induced eutrophication has greatly boosted bacterial production, enhancing the accumulation of hopenes in sediments. Inputs of petroleum-derived αβ-hopanes were exceptionally high (average 71.2 μg g⁻¹ TOC) in post-1968 sediments from Lake Changdang, their increase coinciding with the advent and acceleration of petroleum product use around the lake, in particular by fishing boats. Lake Fuxian on the other hand, has undergone slower economic development and the appearance of petroleum-derived αβ-hopanes in sediments was delayed to 1990 since when the average value has been 27.1 μg g⁻¹ TOC. The abundance of αβ-hopanes in Lake Changdang has created a marked decrease in the relative contribution of hopenes to total hopanoids since 1968. Conversely, the amounts of αβ-hopanes introduced to Lake Fuxian since 1990 has yet to yield a clear change in the overall proportion of hopenes, but the abundance of ββ-hopanes has declined relative to total hopanoid levels for the period.     

The pattern of sedimentary bacterial communities varies with latitude within a large eutrophic lake

We investigated the diversity, composition, and assembly processes of sedimentary bacterial communities across Lake Taihu, China, a large, shallow, and eutrophic water body. Amplicon-based 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing identified the composition and phylogenetic structure of the bacterial communities within the 28 collected samples. Diversity analysis revealed that sedimentary bacterial communities demonstrated significant trends with nutrient loading and habitat along latitude. We used network analysis to disentangle the role of keystone taxa in bacterial communities. Most identified keystone species were from the genus Nitrospira (affiliated with Nitrospirae), subphylum Deltaproteobacteria (affiliated with Proteobacteria), subphylum Gammaproteobacteria (affiliated with Proteobacteria), family Rhodocyclaceae (affiliated with Betaproteobacteria), phylum Bacteroidetes, genus Bacillus (affiliated with Firmicutes), and family Anaerolineaceae (affiliated with Chloroflexi) in order of abundance. These keystone taxa play fundamental roles in carbon and nitrogen cycling within Lake Taihu. Phylogenetic structure analysis indicated that the bacterial communities were more phylogenetically clustered than expected by chance and that deterministic processes dominated the assembly of bacterial communities across Lake Taihu. Niche selection was the crucial factor driving the assembly of bacterial communities. This study enhances the understanding of the distribution of sedimentary bacterial communities and their assembly mechanisms across Lake Taihu.     

轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)根系泌氧对沉积物中典型铁氧化菌和铁还原菌的影响

铁作为地壳中丰度最高的氧化还原敏感元素,对湖泊沉积物的氧化还原作用具有重要的指示意义.水生植物根系泌氧在根际形成微域的氧化圈,根际是氧化、还原同时发生的生物活跃区.以轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata)为研究对象,利用微电极和荧光定量PCR探讨根系泌氧作用对沉积物中典型铁氧化菌(嘉利翁氏菌)和典型铁还原菌(地杆菌)的影响.结果表明,轮叶黑藻生长迅速,通过根系泌氧作用影响沉积物中铁的价态和形态,是根际铁循环的重要参数,并对根际微区微生物有一定的影响.根系泌氧使根际嘉利翁氏菌和地杆菌数量增加,进一步影响根际微生物铁循环.实验结果可为微生物对根际铁循环的研究提供一定的理论基础.     

New approaches for archaeal genome-guided cultivation

Archaea, one of the three domains of life along with Bacteria and Eukarya, contains ancient life forms such as methanogen that are observed today on Earth, and one lineage Asgard archaea is also considered the closest ancestor of Eukarya.Recently, with the development of interdisciplinary studies from Earth and Life sciences, archaeal organisms are considered to play pivotal roles in geochemical cycling in nature. However, our understanding of the attributes, origin and evolution, geochemical and ecological functions of Archaea is hampered by the scarcity of archaeal isolates, which has represented a challenge to researchers for the last 40 years. Cultivation-independent sequencing and phylogenomic analyses have demonstrated a considerable diversity of Archaea with more than 20 novel phyla. However, only four archaeal phyla have cultured representatives, leaving large gaps in our knowledge of the metabolic capabilities and ecological functions of the majority of archaeal strains identified exclusively by DNA sequencing. In this review, we summarize the discovery and development of archaeal research, highlight the knowledge gap between uncultured and cultured archaeal microbes, and call on the importance of devoting greater research efforts to archaeal cultivation. Finally, we outlined new ideas and strategic approaches, namely,(1)genome-based methods,(2) microbial network information-based methods,(3) genome-scale model-guided methods, and(4)machine learning methods, to enable the cultivation of uncultivated archaeal microbes using accumulated high-throughput sequencing data.     

太湖富营养化湖区秋季水体和沉积物中硝化微生物分布特征及控制因素

微生物参与下的氮循环是富营养化湖泊十分重要的生物地球化学循环过程.采用基于amoA功能基因和16S rRNA基因的荧光定量PCR、PCR-DGGE与高通量测序等分子生物学技术,调查秋季太湖不同水体和表层沉积物中氨氧化古菌(AOA)、氨氧化细菌(AOB)和亚硝酸盐氧化菌(NOB)群落丰度和组成,探讨影响硝化微生物分布的关键环境因子.结果表明,中度富营养化的梅梁湾湖区水体表层、中层和底层水样和表层底泥中AOA amoA基因的丰度分别低于轻度富营养化的湖心区,而不同层水样中AOB amoA基因的丰度分别高于湖心区.梅梁湾湖区和湖心区水样中AOA群落组成基本相似,2个湖区表层沉积物样品中AOA群落组成亦基本相似,水体中AOA群落组成与表层沉积物中AOA群落组成有差异,AOA群落丰度显著受硝态氮、pH和DO影响;表层沉积物中AOB群落丰度有明显差异且显著受总氮含量影响,表层沉积物中NOB群落丰度也有明显差异且显著受亚硝态氮含量影响.太湖梅梁湾湖区和湖心区水体与表层沉积物AOA群落包括Nitrosopumilium和Nitrosotalea两大属;表层沉积物AOB群落主要包括亚硝化单胞菌(Nitrosomonas)和亚硝化螺菌(Nitrosospira)两大属,NOB群落主要包括硝化刺菌(Nitrospina)和硝化螺菌(Nitrospira)两大属,其中硝化螺菌属是淡水湖泊中比较少见的亚硝酸盐氧化菌.影响太湖水体和沉积物中AOA和AOB丰度的最主要环境因子为总氮、总磷与铵态氮.研究表明典型富营养指标(总氮、总磷、铵态氮、硝态氮和硝态氮等)是影响太湖梅梁湾和湖心区水体和沉积物中AOA或AOB丰度以及硝化微生物群落丰度的重要因素.     

太湖浮游生物群体分尺度呼吸率初步研究

浮游生物群体分尺度估测方法在水生生态系统研究中应用越来越普遍,但大型浅水湖泊中不同尺度浮游生物群体研究鲜见报道.本文以太湖2002年10月至2003年9月的野外实测资料为基础,系统研究了不同尺度浮游生物群落的(R为浮游生物群体的平均直径,R≥41μm,2μm≤R<41μm,R<2μm)呼吸率.结果表明,在太湖梅梁湾,R≥41μm的浮游生物群体(主要是微囊藻群体)占优势,呼吸率占总呼吸率的70%以上,R<2μm的浮游生物(主要是浮游细菌)呼吸率占总呼吸率的18%左右;在太湖北部敞水区,R≥41μm的浮游生物的呼吸率占总呼吸率的10%左右,R<2μm的浮游生物占优势,其呼吸率能占总呼吸率的65%以上.总体来看,梅梁湾中R≥41μm的浮游生物群体特别是微囊藻群体呼吸率占优势,敞水区微型浮游生物特别是浮游细菌对总呼吸率的贡献很大.     

Recent pH and CO2 profiles at Lakes Nyos and Monoun, Cameroon: implications for the degassing strategy and its numerical simulation

In situ pH profiles are reported for the first time for Lakes Nyos and Monoun. The pH profiles were converted to CO₂ profiles using HCO₃⁻ profiles calculated from conductivity data. Recent observations (1993–1996) at Lake Nyos indicates that CO₂ still accumulates below 180 m depth at a rate of 125 Mmol year⁻¹. At Lake Monoun, the majority of CO₂ is present below a depth of 60 m, only 25 m below the saturation depth. Consequently, a potential danger of gas explosion is high at both lakes, and artificial degassing of the lakes should be performed as soon as possible. A system for industrial degassing of the lakes is proposed. The system, based on the self-sustained gas lift principle, consists of multiple pipes (14 cm in diameter) with different intake depths; 12 pipes for Lake Nyos (four each at 185, 195 and 205 m) and three pipes for Lake Monoun (at 70, 80 and 90 m). The stepped degassing at different depths is intended to keep the maximum stability of the lakes. The proposed degassing operation was simulated using the code for both lakes. In 5 years, approximately 50% of currently dissolved CO₂ in Lake Nyos and 90% in Lake Monoun will be removed. The expected changes in the thermal and chemical structures of the lakes as degassing proceeds will be most easily monitored with a carefully calibrated CTD equipped with a pH sensor. The simulation indicates that the discharged degassed water will sink to a level of neutral buoyancy, i.e. to a maximum of 70 m at Lake Nyos and 35 m at Lake Monoun. There would be no possibility of triggering a gas explosion by this plunge of discharged water because the water present there would have already been replaced by water at lower CO₂ concentration, during the degassing from shallower pipes.     

洞庭湖和鄱阳湖水体细菌空间分布特征及驱动机制

为了探讨洞庭湖和鄱阳湖水体细菌的群落组成、空间分布特征及其驱动机制,于2017年9月,采用高通量测序技术、基于16S rRNA分子标记进行单分子测序,分别对两湖共57个位点的水体细菌群落组成进行了研究,同步监测了水体的理化指标。结果表明：洞庭湖和鄱阳湖共发现水体细菌20门42纲93目191科533属,在门水平上,洞庭湖和鄱阳湖的水体细菌组成均以放线菌门、蓝细菌门和变形菌门为主;主成分分析结果表明,两湖水环境条件有显著性差异,鄱阳湖的空间差异性大于洞庭湖;Mantel分析表明显著影响蓝细菌类群和其他类群组成的因素较为一致,在洞庭湖以物理环境因子和营养盐因子为主,而鄱阳湖以物理环境因子为主;零模型分析结果显示随机性过程为两湖水体细菌的群落构建机制的主要成分,占比分别为58.8%和79.7%。总体来说,鄱阳湖水环境空间异质性更高,水体细菌受到一些水文水动力学因子介导的物理环境因子影响,且其群落构建机制由随机性过程主导;洞庭湖水环境空间异质性较低,水体细菌受到物理环境因子和营养盐因子的共同影响,其群落构建机制由随机性过程和确定性过程共同决定。认识两湖水体细菌在空间上的分布及影响因素差异,对两湖...     

Extremely alkaline (pH > 12) ground water hosts diverse microbial community

Chemically unusual ground water can provide an environment for novel communities of bacteria to develop. Here, we describe a diverse microbial community that inhabits extremely alkaline (pH > 12) ground water from the Lake Calumet area of Chicago, Illinois, where historic dumping of steel slag has filled in a wetland. Using microbial 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing and microcosm experiments, we confirmed the presence and growth of a variety of alkaliphilic beta-Proteobacteria, Bacillus, and Clostridium species at pH up to 13.2. Many of the bacterial sequences most closely matched those of other alkaliphiles found in more moderately alkaline water around the world. Oxidation of dihydrogen produced by reaction of water with steel slag is likely a primary energy source to the community. The widespread occurrence of iron-oxidizing bacteria suggests that reduced iron serves as an additional energy source. These results extend upward the known range of pH tolerance for a microbial community by as much as 2 pH units. The community may provide a source of novel microbes and enzymes that can be exploited under alkaline conditions.     

Spatial analysis of bacteria in brackish lake sediment

The spatial distribution of bacterial communities inhabiting sediment is heterogeneous at different spatial scales,but mostly unexplored.Here,it is postulated that the heterogeneity of the bacterial community composition varies at the same scale of the heterogeneity of sediment chemical properties.The large spatial scale(km) diversity in sediment from a brackish water lagoon(Chilika Lake,India) is studied,considering the large scale physical and chemical characteristics of land cover,climate,pH,and salinity.Seventy-two samples(24 stations,3 seasons:winter,rainy,and summer) of sediment from Chilika Lake were analyzed by 16 S ribosomal ribonucleic acid(rRNA) gene sequencing,and the relations with land cover and other physico-chemical paramete rs are discussed.Mo re samples were collected after a severe cyclonic storm(Phailin) passed near the lagoon in 2013,to see the impact of the tropical storm on the spatial and tempo ral distribution of bacteria in the sediment.The results demonstrate clear spatial relations between physico-chemical parameters(e.g.,salinity),land surfaces(e.g.,drainage area),and the distribution of sediment microbial communities.     

Vertical variations and associated ecological function of bacterial communities from Sphagnum to underlying sediments in Dajiuhu Peatland

To investigate vertical changes of bacterial communities from living plants to the associated sediments and bacterial biogeochemical roles in peatland ecosystem,samples of different part of individual Sphagnum palustre and the different layers of the underlying sediments were collected from Dajiuhu Peatland in central China.All samples were subject to 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and quantitative PCR analysis.Even though bacteria vary in abundance at the same order of magnitude in all samples,they show great profile difference in composition from the top part of S.palustre to the low layer of the sediments.Cyanobacteria and alpha-Proteobacteria dominate at the top part whereas Acidobacteria at the middle part of S.palustre.Alpha-Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria are the dominant phyla at the bottom part of S.palustre and in the surface peat sediment.In contrast,bacterial communities in the subsurface sediments are dominated by Acidobacteria.These profile distributions of different bacterial communities are closely related to their ecological functions in the peatland ecosystem.Specifically,most Cyanobacteria were observed at the top green part of S.palustre,a horizon where the active photosynthesis of the moss occurs,which infers their endosymbiosis.In contrast,Acidobacteria,dominant in the subsurface sediments,are able to decompose the specific compounds on the cell wall of Sphagnum moss and thus might play an important role in the formation of the peatland,including the acidic condition.Methane oxidizing process might have been underestimated in Sphagnum peatland due to the identification of Methylocystaceae in all parts of the moss investigated here.The vertical difference in bacterial composition and bacterial ecological functions presented here sheds light on the understanding of biogeochemical processes,in particular the CH4 flux,in peat ecosystems.