The biogeochemical variability of Arctic thermokarst ponds is reflected by stochastic and niche-driven microbial community assembly processes.

ABSTRACT: Shallow thermokarst ponds are a conspicuous landscape element of the Arctic Siberian tundra with high biogeochemical variability. Little is known about how microbes from the regional species pool assemble into local pond communities and how the resulting patterns affect functional properties such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) remineralization and greenhouse gas (GHG) turnover. We analysed the pelagic microbiomes of 20 ponds in north-eastern Siberia in the context of their physico-chemical properties. Ponds were categorized as polygonal or trough according to their geomorphological origin. The diversity of bacteria and eukaryotic microbes was assessed by ribosomal gene tag sequencing. Null model analysis revealed an important role of stochastic assembly processes within ponds of identic

SUBMITTER: Le Moigne A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7702111 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature