Microbial decomposer communities are mainly structured by trophic status in circumneutral and alkaline streams.

ABSTRACT: In streams, the release of nitrogen and phosphorus is reported to affect microbial communities and the ecological processes they govern. Moreover, the type of inorganic nitrogen (NO(3), NO(2), or NH(4)) may differently impact microbial communities. We aimed to identify the environmental factors that structure aquatic microbial communities and drive leaf litter decomposition along a gradient of eutrophication. We selected five circumneutral (Portuguese) and five alkaline (French) streams differing in nutrient concentrations to monitor mass loss of alder leaves, bacterial and fungal diversity by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, fungal biomass and reproduction, and bacterial biomass during 11 weeks of leaf immersion. The concentrations of inorganic nutrients in the stream water ra

SUBMITTER: Duarte S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2753096 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature