Temporal succession of bacterial and archaeal communities in a Mediterranean high-mountain lake over the last 430 years using sedimentary DNA.

ABSTRACT: Despite the known influence of climate change on high-altitude ecosystems, the long-term response of prokaryotic communities in Mediterranean high-mountain lakes remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the temporal dynamics of prokaryotic communities over the past ~ 430 years in a Mediterranean high-mountain lake, utilizing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedDNA). By examining a sediment core from Borreguil Lake in the Sierra Nevada (Spain), we evaluated bacterial and archaeal abundance, diversity, and community composition (β-diversity) in relation to paleoenvironmental and climate data. Our findings revealed a significant restructuring of prokaryotic communities, particularly since ca. 1960. A Random Forest model identified dissolved organic carbon, organic nitrogen, Saharan atmospheric

SUBMITTER: Castellano-Hinojosa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12534237 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature