Phosphorus chemistry and bacterial community composition interact in brackish sediments receiving agricultural discharges.

ABSTRACT:

Background

External nutrient discharges have caused eutrophication in many estuaries and coastal seas such as the Baltic Sea. The sedimented nutrients can affect bacterial communities which, in turn, are widely believed to contribute to release of nutrients such as phosphorus from the sediment.

Methods

We investigated relationships between bacterial communities and chemical forms of phosphorus as well as elements involved in its cycling in brackish sediments using up-to-date multivariate statistical methods. Bacterial community composition was determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and cloning of the 16S rRNA gene.

Results and conclusions

The bacterial community composition differed along gradients of nutrients, especially of different phospho

SUBMITTER: Sinkko H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3126828 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature