Routes and rates of bacterial dispersal impact surface soil microbiome composition and functioning.

ABSTRACT: Recent evidence suggests that, similar to larger organisms, dispersal is a key driver of microbiome assembly; however, our understanding of the rates and taxonomic composition of microbial dispersal in natural environments is limited. Here, we characterized the rate and composition of bacteria dispersing into surface soil via three dispersal routes (from the air above the vegetation, from nearby vegetation and leaf litter near the soil surface, and from the bulk soil and litter below the top layer). We then quantified the impact of those routes on microbial community composition and functioning in the topmost litter layer. The bacterial dispersal rate onto the surface layer was low (7900 cells/cm²/day) relative to the abundance of the resident community. While bacteria dispersed

SUBMITTER: Walters KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9477824 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature