Temporal dynamics of hot desert microbial communities reveal structural and functional responses to water input.

ABSTRACT: The temporal dynamics of desert soil microbial communities are poorly understood. Given the implications for ecosystem functioning under a global change scenario, a better understanding of desert microbial community stability is crucial. Here, we sampled soils in the central Namib Desert on sixteen different occasions over a one-year period. Using Illumina-based amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, we found that α-diversity (richness) was more variable at a given sampling date (spatial variability) than over the course of one year (temporal variability). Community composition remained essentially unchanged across the first 10 months, indicating that spatial sampling might be more important than temporal sampling when assessing β-diversity patterns in desert soils. However, a major shi

SUBMITTER: Armstrong A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5041089 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature