Bacterial community structure and function shift along a successional series of tidal flats in the Yellow River Delta.

ABSTRACT: Coastal ecosystems play significant ecological and economic roles but are threatened and facing decline. Microbes drive various biogeochemical processes in coastal ecosystems. Tidal flats are critical components of coastal ecosystems; however, the structure and function of microbial communities in tidal flats are poorly understood. Here we investigated the seasonal variations of bacterial communities along a tidal flat series (subtidal, intertidal and supratidal flats) and the factors affecting the variations. Bacterial community composition and diversity were analyzed over four seasons by 16S rRNA genes using the Ion Torrent PGM platform. Bacterial community composition differed significantly along the tidal flat series. Bacterial phylogenetic diversity increased while phylogenetic turnov

SUBMITTER: Lv X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5099912 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature