On the phenology of protists: recurrent patterns reveal seasonal variation of protistan (Rhizaria: Cercozoa and Endomyxa) communities in tree canopies.

ABSTRACT: Tree canopies are colonized by billions of highly specialized microorganisms that are well adapted to the highly variable microclimatic conditions, caused by diurnal fluctuations and seasonal changes. In this study, we investigated seasonality patterns of protists in the tree canopies of a temperate floodplain forest via high-throughput sequencing with group-specific primers for the phyla Cercozoa and Endomyxa. We observed consistent seasonality, and identified divergent spring and autumn taxa. Tree crowns were characterized by a dominance of bacterivores and omnivores, while eukaryvores gained a distinctly larger share in litter and soil communities on the ground. In the canopy seasonality was largest among communities detected on the foliar surface: In spring, higher variance within alph

SUBMITTER: Walden S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8213970 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature