Microbial communities across a hillslope-riparian transect shaped by proximity to the stream, groundwater table, and weathered bedrock.

ABSTRACT: Watersheds are important suppliers of freshwater for human societies. Within mountainous watersheds, microbial communities impact water chemistry and element fluxes as water from precipitation events discharge through soils and underlying weathered rock, yet there is limited information regarding the structure and function of these communities. Within the East River, CO watershed, we conducted a depth-resolved, hillslope to riparian zone transect study to identify factors that control how microorganisms are distributed and their functions. Metagenomic and geochemical analyses indicate that distance from the East River and proximity to groundwater and underlying weathered shale strongly impact microbial community structure and metabolic potential. Riparian zone microbial communities are com

SUBMITTER: Lavy A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6662431 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature