biostudies-literatureZhu ANational Natural Science Foundation of ChinaYouth Innovation Promotion Association CAS1430073https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11381306biostudies-literatureUnknown15Bacteria play a crucial role in pollutant degradation, biogeochemical cycling, and energy flow within river ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms governing bacterial community assembly and their response to environmental factors at seasonal scales in subtropical rivers remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on water samples from the Liuxi River to investigate the composition, assembly processes, and co-occurrence relationships of bacterial communities during the wet season and dry season. The results demonstrated that seasonal differences in hydrochemistry significantly influenced the composition of bacterial communities. A more heterogeneous community structure and increased alpha diversity were observed during the dry season. WateFrontiers in microbiologyDispersal limitation determines the ecological processes that regulate the seasonal assembly of bacterial communities in a subtropical river.PMC11381306419071792022352Liang ZGao LXie ZZhu AfalseDispersal limitation determines the ecological processes that regulate the seasonal assembly of bacterial communities in a subtropical river.Bacteria play a crucial role in pollutant degradation, biogeochemical cycling, and energy flow within river ecosystems. However, the underlying mechanisms governing bacterial community assembly and their response to environmental factors at seasonal scales in subtropical rivers remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing on water samples from the Liuxi River to investigate the composition, assembly processes, and co-occurrence relationships of bacterial communities during the wet season and dry season. The results demonstrated that seasonal differences in hydrochemistry significantly influenced the composition of bacterial communities. A more heterogeneous community structure and increased alpha diversity were observed during the dry season. Wate2024-01-01T00:00:00Z20242026-06-02T21:57:31.832Z2025-04-19T12:37:10.501ZS-EPMC113813063925282910.3389/fmicb.2024.1430073