Salinity and bacterial diversity: to what extent does the concentration of salt affect the bacterial community in a saline soil?

ABSTRACT: In this study, the evaluation of soil characteristics was coupled with a pyrosequencing analysis of the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region in order to investigate the bacterial community structure and diversity in the A horizon of a natural saline soil located in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to assess the organisation and diversity of microbial taxa using a spatial scale that revealed physical and chemical heterogeneity of the habitat under investigation. The results provided information on the type of distribution of different bacterial groups as a function of spatial gradients of soil salinity and pH. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA showed differences in bacterial composition and diversity due to a variable salt concentration in the soil. The bacterial community showed a s

SUBMITTER: Canfora L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4154724 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature