biostudies-literatureUnknown9(2)Bontemps ZDRAC Nouvelle AquitaineCommunity assembly processes are complex and understanding them represents a challenge in microbial ecology. Here, we used Lascaux Cave as a stable, confined environment to quantify the importance of stochastic vs deterministic processes during microbial community dynamics across the three domains of life in relation to an anthropogenic disturbance that had resulted in the side-by-side occurrence of a resistant community (unstained limestone), an impacted community (present in black stains), and a resilient community (attenuated stains). Metabarcoding data showed that the microbial communities of attenuated stains, black stains, and unstained surfaces differed, with attenuated stains being in an intermediate position. We found four scenarios to explain community response to disturbance in mSystemse0123323https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10878041biostudies-literatureStochastic and deterministic assembly processes of microbial communities in relation to natural attenuation of black stains in Lascaux Cave.PMC10878041Bontemps ZMoenne-Loccoz YHugoni MfalseStochastic and deterministic assembly processes of microbial communities in relation to natural attenuation of black stains in Lascaux Cave.Community assembly processes are complex and understanding them represents a challenge in microbial ecology. Here, we used Lascaux Cave as a stable, confined environment to quantify the importance of stochastic vs deterministic processes during microbial community dynamics across the three domains of life in relation to an anthropogenic disturbance that had resulted in the side-by-side occurrence of a resistant community (unstained limestone), an impacted community (present in black stains), and a resilient community (attenuated stains). Metabarcoding data showed that the microbial communities of attenuated stains, black stains, and unstained surfaces differed, with attenuated stains being in an intermediate position. We found four scenarios to explain community response to disturbance in 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Feb2025-04-05T00:29:39.483Z2025-04-05T00:29:39.483ZS-EPMC108780413828909210.1128/msystems.01233-23