The Influence of the Degree of Forest Management on Methylmercury and the Composition of Microbial Communities in the Sediments of Boreal Drainage Ditches.

ABSTRACT: Inorganic mercury (Hg) can be methylated to the highly toxic and bioavailable methylmercury (MeHg) by microorganisms in anaerobic environments. The Hg methylation rate may be affected by forest management activities, which can influence the catchment soils, water, and sediments. Here, we investigate the influence of forest management in the form of ditch cleaning and beaver dam removal, as well as the seasonal variations, on sediment chemistry and microbiota. The relationships between MeHg concentrations in sediment samples and archaeal and bacterial communities assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing were investigated to determine the microbial conditions that facilitated the formation of MeHg. Concentrations of MeHg were highest in undisturbed catchments compared to disturbed or sl

SUBMITTER: Bitenieks K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9609920 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature