Shifts in diversity and function of lake bacterial communities upon glacier retreat.

ABSTRACT: Global climate change is causing a wastage of glaciers and threatening biodiversity in glacier-fed ecosystems. The high turbidity typically found in those ecosystems, which is caused by inorganic particles and result of the erosive activity of glaciers is a key environmental factor influencing temperature and light availability, as well as other factors in the water column. Once these lakes loose hydrological connectivity to glaciers and turn clear, the accompanying environmental changes could represent a potential bottleneck for the established local diversity with yet unknown functional consequences. Here, we study three lakes situated along a turbidity gradient as well as one clear unconnected lake and evaluate seasonal changes in their bacterial community composition and diversity. Fur

SUBMITTER: Peter H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4852812 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature