Spatial Patterns in Biofilm Diversity across Hierarchical Levels of River-Floodplain Landscapes.

ABSTRACT: River-floodplain systems are among the most diverse and productive ecosystems, but the effects of biophysical complexity at multiple scales on microbial biodiversity have not been studied. Here, we investigated how the hierarchical organization of river systems (i.e., region, floodplain, zone, habitats, and microhabitats) influences epilithic biofilm community assemblage patterns by characterizing microbial communities using 16S rRNA gene sequence data and analyzing bacterial species distribution across local and regional scales. Results indicate that regional and local environmental filters concurrently sort bacterial species, suggesting that spatial configuration of epilithic biofilms resembles patterns of larger organisms in floodplain ecosystems. Along the hierarchical organization of

SUBMITTER: Peipoch M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4668062 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature