Microbial biogeography of streams in the Feniak Lake region, Noatak National Preserve, Alaska: Exploring influences of lithology and habitat
Larouche JR, Bowden WB, Giordana R, Flinn MB. 2009. Microbial biogeography of streams in the Feniak Lake region, Noatak National Preserve, Alaska: Exploring influences of lithology and habitat. National Park Service Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program. Burlington, VT
Microbes are of critical importance but are a poorly understo od component of arctic stream ecosystems. They are responsible for recycling or ganic matter and regenerating nutrients that are essential to the food webs of aquatic ecosystems. We tested the hypothesis that differences in highly contrasting parent litholog ies (non-carbonate and ultramafic), stream habitat (sediments and rocks), and stream biogeochemistry influenc e the structure of bacterial biofilm communities in arctic streams. . Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphi sm and 16S rRNA gene sequencing were used to explore the genetic di versity of bacterial communities in biofilms on sediments (epipssamon) and rocks (epilithon) in stream reaches that drain watersheds with contrasting lithologies in the Noatak National Preserve, Alas ka. We observed different patterns in bacterial community composition primarily by stream habitat and secondarily by lithology. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination of terminal restriction fragment peaks showed highly significant separation between the two ha bitats and moderately significant separation between lithologies. Positive co rrelations were detected betw een particular biogeochemical variables (e.g. nutrients, base cations, and dissolved organic ca rbon) and bacterial community structure unique to each lithol ogy. Although clone libraries indicated high diversity of bacterial operational units within and acro ss stream sites, biogeographical patterns were observed that depended on lithology type and stream habitat. Our results show relationships at macro- and micro-scales at the landscape level and in eco logical niches within a single stream.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Larouche, Julia; Bowden, William; Giordana, Rosanna; Flinn, Michael
- Date of Issue
- 2009
- Publisher
- National Park Service Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program
- Units
- ARCN , GAAR , NOAT
- Keywords
- Alaska, Aquatic, Biogeography, Microbe, Stream, Water
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Microorganisms