Frequency of disturbance alters diversity, function, and underlying assembly mechanisms of complex bacterial communities.

ABSTRACT: Disturbance is known to affect the ecosystem structure, but predicting its outcomes remains elusive. Similarly, community diversity is believed to relate to ecosystem functions, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we tested the effect of disturbance on the structure, assembly, and ecosystem function of complex microbial communities within an engineered system. We carried out a microcosm experiment where activated sludge bioreactors operated in daily cycles were subjected to eight different frequency levels of augmentation with a toxic pollutant, from never (undisturbed) to every day (press-disturbed), for 35 days. Microbial communities were assessed by combining distance-based methods, general linear multivariate models, α-diversity indices, and null model analyses o

SUBMITTER: Santillan E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6370796 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature