Microbial changing patterns across lateral and vertical horizons in recently formed permafrost after the outburst of Zonag Lake, Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT: In polar and alpine regions, global warming and landform changes are draining lakes, transforming them into permafrost with altered microbial communities and element cycling. In this study, we investigated bacterial and archaeal (prokaryotic) community changes in the newly exposed sediment of Zonag Lake (Tibetan Plateau), focusing on prokaryotic diversity, community structure, and genes involved in carbon fixation and nitrogen cycling across lateral (up to 800 m) and vertical (up to 80 cm) horizons. The results showed that prokaryotic richness decreased across the lateral horizons, coinciding with reductions in carbon concentrations. Dramatic changes in community structure were also observed, primarily influenced by the distance from the lake and then by sediment depth, with environmental

SUBMITTER: Li S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11774121 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature