Bacterial community responses to a gradient of alkaline mountaintop mine drainage in Central Appalachian streams.

ABSTRACT: Microbial community composition and diversity change along chemical gradients, leading to the expectation that microbial community information might provide new gradient characterizations. Here we examine stream bacteria composition and diversity along a strong chemical gradient in Central Appalachian streams. Coal mining in the region generates alkaline mine drainage (AlkMD), causing dramatic increases in conductivity, alkalinity, sulfate and metals sufficient to degrade stream macrobiota communities throughout the ecoregion. In this study, we examined the relationship between water and biofilm chemistry and biofilm bacteria taxonomic composition in streams where active and reclaimed surface coal mines occupied 0-96% of watershed surface area. We incubated wood veneers in each stream site

SUBMITTER: Bier RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4438324 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature