Hydrologic linkages drive spatial structuring of bacterial assemblages and functioning in alpine floodplains.

ABSTRACT: Microbial community assembly and microbial functions are affected by a number of different but coupled drivers such as local habitat characteristics, dispersal rates, and species interactions. In groundwater systems, hydrological flow can introduce spatial structure and directional dependencies among these drivers. We examined the importance of hydrology in structuring bacterial communities and their function within two alpine floodplains during different hydrological states. Piezometers were installed in stream sediments and surrounding riparian zones to assess hydrological flows and also were used as incubation chambers to examine bacterial community structures and enzymatic functions along hydrological flow paths. Spatial eigenvector models in conjunction with models based on physico-ch

SUBMITTER: Freimann R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4630579 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature