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Pittino F, Ambrosini R, Seeger M, Azzoni RS, Diolaiuti G, Alviz Gazitua P, Franzetti A. Geographical variability of bacterial communities of cryoconite holes of Andean glaciers. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2633. [PMID: 36788266 PMCID: PMC9929092 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes, ponds full of melting water with sediment on the bottom, are hotspots of biodiversity on glacier surfaces and host dynamic micro-ecosystems. They have been extensively investigated in different areas of the world (e.g., the Arctic, Antarctic, Alps, and Himalaya), but so far no study has described the bacterial communities of the glaciers in the Andes, the world's longest mountain range. In this study, we describe the bacterial communities of three small (< 2 km2) high-elevation (< 4200 m a.s.l.) glaciers of the Central Andes (Iver, East Iver and Morado glaciers) and two large (> 85 km2) glaciers of the Patagonian Andes (Exploradores and Perito Moreno glaciers) whose ablation tongues reach low altitude (< 300 m a.s.l.). Results show that the bacterial communities were generally similar to those observed in the cryoconite holes of other continents, but with few cyanobacteria (0.5% of sequences). The most abundant orders were Betaproteobacteriales, Cytophagales, Chitinophagales, Acetobacterales, Frankiales, Armatimonadales, Sphingobacteriales, Rhizobiales, Bacteroidales, Sphingomonadales, and Micrococcales. The bacterial communities differed between glaciers and both water pH and O2 concentration appeared to influence the bacterial community composition. This work thus provides the first description of the bacterial communities in cryoconite holes of South American glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Pittino
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy ,grid.419754.a0000 0001 2259 5533WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - R. Ambrosini
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - M. Seeger
- grid.12148.3e0000 0001 1958 645XMolecular Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaiso, Chile
| | - R. S. Azzoni
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Earth Science “Ardito Desio”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - G. Diolaiuti
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Laboratory of Glacier Ecology, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - P. Alviz Gazitua
- grid.442234.70000 0001 2295 9069Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Lagos, Osorno, Chile
| | - A. Franzetti
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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2
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Menéndez-Serra M, Ontiveros VJ, Cáliz J, Alonso D, Casamayor EO. Understanding stochastic and deterministic assembly processes in microbial communities along temporal, spatial and environmental scales. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:1629-1638. [PMID: 36626114 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the main drivers of community assembly remains an open fundamental question in ecology. Dispersal processes introduce randomness in community composition while selection for particular environments creates predictable assemblages. However, the interaction between selection and dispersal processes is still poorly understood. Here, we address this question in bacterial and microeukaryotic communities inhabiting a highly dynamic system of ephemeral (hyper)saline lakes. We show that the combination of beta-diversity decomposition methods and a temporal approach based on colonization and extinction dynamics yields new insights into the relative effect of selection and dispersal along environmental gradients. Selective pressure and dispersal-related processes simultaneously shape each local community with variable strength and effect. The dominance of selection vs. dispersal shifted from stochastic to deterministic assembly as salinity increased along the gradient. This transition also had an impact on the temporal dynamics of the lakes as community turnover decreased at high salinities because both colonization and extinction rates slowed down. Only microeukaryotic richness decreased along the gradient due to lower effective colonization at higher salinities, suggesting that the net effect of selection and dispersal is determined by both environmental conditions and the idiosyncrasy of the different microbial ecologies. Our results emphasize the use of temporal approaches in combination with standard statistical methods for a better understanding of the dynamic processes underlying community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateu Menéndez-Serra
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | - Vicente J Ontiveros
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | - Joan Cáliz
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | - David Alonso
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB), Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
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3
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Kleinteich J, Hanselmann K, Hildebrand F, Kappler A, Zarfl C. Glacier melt-down changes habitat characteristics and unique microbial community composition and physiology in Alpine lakes sediments. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6617590. [PMID: 35749563 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glacial melt-down alters hydrological and physicochemical conditions in downstream aquatic habitats. In this study we tested if sediment associated microbial communities respond to the decrease of glaciers and associated meltwater flows in high-alpine lakes. We analysed 16 lakes in forefield catchments of three glaciers in the Eastern Swiss Alps on physicochemical and biological parameters. We compared lakes fed by glacier meltwater with hydrologically disconnected lakes, as well as "mixed" lakes that received water from both other lake types. Glacier-fed lakes had a higher turbidity (94 NTU) and conductivity (47 µS/cm), but were up to 5.2°C colder than disconnected lakes (1.5 NTU, 26 µS/cm). Nutrient concentration was low in all lakes (TN <0.05 mg/L, TP <0.02 mg/L). Bacterial diversity in the sediments decreased significantly with altitude. Bacterial community composition correlated with turbidity, temperature, conductivity, nitrate and lake age and was distinctly different between glacier-fed compared to disconnected and mixed water lakes, but not between catchments. Chemoheterotrophic processes were more abundant in glacier-fed compared to disconnected and mixed water lakes where photoautotrophic processes dominated. Our study suggests that the loss of glaciers will change sediment bacterial community composition and physiology that are unique for glacier-fed lakes in mountain and polar regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kleinteich
- Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hanselmann
- Department of Earth Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Falk Hildebrand
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UZ, UK.,Gut Microbes & Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Andreas Kappler
- Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence: EXC 2124: Controlling Microbes to Fight Infection, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christiane Zarfl
- Center for Applied Geoscience, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany
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Resetarits WJ, Potts KM, Scott RC. Island biogeography at the mesoscale: Distance from forest edge affects choice of patch size by ovipositing treefrogs. Ecology 2022; 103:e3766. [PMID: 35610971 PMCID: PMC9540006 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Diversity in habitat patches is partly driven by variation in patch size, which affects extinction, and isolation, which affects immigration. Patch size also affects immigration as a component of patch quality. In wetland ecosystems, where variation in patch size and interpatch distance is ubiquitous, relationships between size and isolation may involve trade‐offs. We assayed treefrog oviposition at three patch sizes in arrays of two types, one where size increased with distance from forest (dispersed) and one with all patches equidistant from forest (equidistant), testing directly for an interaction between patch size and distance, which was highly significant. Medium patches in dispersed arrays received more eggs than those in equidistant arrays as use of typically preferred larger patches was reduced in dispersed arrays. Our results demonstrated a habitat selection trade‐off between preferred large and less‐preferred medium patches across small‐scale variation in isolation. Such patch size/isolation relationships are critical to community assembly and to understanding how diversity is maintained within a metapopulation and metacommunity framework, especially as wetland habitat becomes increasingly rare and fragmented. These results bring lessons of island biogeography, writ large, to bear on questions at small scales where ecologists often work and where habitat restoration is most often focused.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Resetarits
- Department of Biology and Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources and Biodiversity and Conservation Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
| | - Kevin M Potts
- Department of Biology and Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources and Biodiversity and Conservation Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
| | - Reed C Scott
- Department of Biology and Centers for Water and Wetlands Resources and Biodiversity and Conservation Research, The University of Mississippi, University, MS
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Rozwalak P, Podkowa P, Buda J, Niedzielski P, Kawecki S, Ambrosini R, Azzoni RS, Baccolo G, Ceballos JL, Cook J, Di Mauro B, Ficetola GF, Franzetti A, Ignatiuk D, Klimaszyk P, Łokas E, Ono M, Parnikoza I, Pietryka M, Pittino F, Poniecka E, Porazinska DL, Richter D, Schmidt SK, Sommers P, Souza-Kasprzyk J, Stibal M, Szczuciński W, Uetake J, Wejnerowski Ł, Yde JC, Takeuchi N, Zawierucha K. Cryoconite - From minerals and organic matter to bioengineered sediments on glacier's surfaces. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150874. [PMID: 34627905 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cryoconite is a mixture of mineral and organic material covering glacial ice, playing important roles in biogeochemical cycles and lowering the albedo of a glacier surface. Understanding the differences in structure of cryoconite across the globe can be important in recognizing past and future changes in supraglacial environments and ice-organisms-minerals interactions. Despite the worldwide distribution and over a century of studies, the basic characteristics of cryoconite, including its forms and geochemistry, remain poorly studied. The major purpose of our study is the presentation and description of morphological diversity, chemical and photoautotrophs composition, and organic matter content of cryoconite sampled from 33 polar and mountain glaciers around the globe. Observations revealed that cryoconite is represented by various morphologies including loose and granular forms. Granular cryoconite includes smooth, rounded, or irregularly shaped forms; with some having their surfaces covered by cyanobacteria filaments. The occurrence of granules increased with the organic matter content in cryoconite. Moreover, a major driver of cryoconite colouring was the concentration of organic matter and its interplay with minerals. The structure of cyanobacteria and algae communities in cryoconite differs between glaciers, but representatives of cyanobacteria families Pseudanabaenaceae and Phormidiaceae, and algae families Mesotaeniaceae and Ulotrichaceae were the most common. The most of detected cyanobacterial taxa are known to produce polymeric substances (EPS) that may cement granules. Organic matter content in cryoconite varied between glaciers, ranging from 1% to 38%. The geochemistry of all the investigated samples reflected local sediment sources, except of highly concentrated Pb and Hg in cryoconite collected from European glaciers near industrialized regions, corroborating cryoconite as element-specific collector and potential environmental indicator of anthropogenic activity. Our work supports a notion that cryoconite may be more than just simple sediment and instead exhibits complex structure with relevance for biodiversity and the functioning of glacial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rozwalak
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland; Geohazards Research Unit, Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Paweł Podkowa
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jakub Buda
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Przemysław Niedzielski
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | | | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto S Azzoni
- Department of Earth Sciences, "Ardito Desio", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Baccolo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Jorge L Ceballos
- Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies, IDEAM, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Joseph Cook
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Biagio Di Mauro
- Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council, Venice, Italy
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, University Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, Grenoble, France
| | - Andrea Franzetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Dariusz Ignatiuk
- University of Silesia in Katowice, Institute of Earth Sciences, Bedzinska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Piotr Klimaszyk
- Department of Water Protection, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Edyta Łokas
- Department of Mass Spectrometry, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Masato Ono
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ivan Parnikoza
- State Institution National Antarctic Center of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine; Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mirosława Pietryka
- Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Francesca Pittino
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Ewa Poniecka
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota L Porazinska
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dorota Richter
- Department of Botany and Plant Ecology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Science, pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Steven K Schmidt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Pacifica Sommers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Juliana Souza-Kasprzyk
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Marek Stibal
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Witold Szczuciński
- Geohazards Research Unit, Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Jun Uetake
- Field Research Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Łukasz Wejnerowski
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jacob C Yde
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
| | - Nozomu Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland.
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6
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Millar JL, Bagshaw EA, Edwards A, Poniecka EA, Jungblut AD. Polar Cryoconite Associated Microbiota Is Dominated by Hemispheric Specialist Genera. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:738451. [PMID: 34899626 PMCID: PMC8660574 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.738451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes, supraglacial depressions containing water and microbe-mineral aggregates, are known to be hotspots of microbial diversity on glacial surfaces. Cryoconite holes form in a variety of locations and conditions, which impacts both their structure and the community that inhabits them. Using high-throughput 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing, we have investigated the communities of a wide range of cryoconite holes from 15 locations across the Arctic and Antarctic. Around 24 bacterial and 11 eukaryotic first-rank phyla were observed in total. The various biotic niches (grazer, predator, photoautotroph, and chemotroph), are filled in every location. Significantly, there is a clear divide between the bacterial and microalgal communities of the Arctic and that of the Antarctic. We were able to determine the groups contributing to this difference and the family and genus level. Both polar regions contain a "core group" of bacteria that are present in the majority of cryoconite holes and each contribute >1% of total amplicon sequence variant (ASV) abundance. Whilst both groups contain Microbacteriaceae, the remaining members are specific to the core group of each polar region. Additionally, the microalgal communities of Arctic cryoconite holes are dominated by Chlamydomonas whereas the Antarctic cryoconite holes are dominated by Pleurastrum. Therefore cryoconite holes may be a global feature of glacier landscapes, but they are inhabited by regionally distinct microbial communities. Our results are consistent with the notion that cryoconite microbiomes are adapted to differing conditions within the cryosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin L Millar
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Bagshaw
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion, United Kingdom
| | - Ewa A Poniecka
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Anne D Jungblut
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
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Dickey JR, Swenie RA, Turner SC, Winfrey CC, Yaffar D, Padukone A, Beals KK, Sheldon KS, Kivlin SN. The Utility of Macroecological Rules for Microbial Biogeography. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.633155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroecological rules have been developed for plants and animals that describe large-scale distributional patterns and attempt to explain the underlying physiological and ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit patterns in relative abundance, distribution, diversity, and traits across space and time, yet it remains unclear the extent to which microorganisms follow macroecological rules initially developed for macroorganisms. Additionally, the usefulness of these rules as a null hypothesis when surveying microorganisms has yet to be fully evaluated. With rapid advancements in sequencing technology, we have seen a recent increase in microbial studies that utilize macroecological frameworks. Here, we review and synthesize these macroecological microbial studies with two main objectives: (1) to determine to what extent macroecological rules explain the distribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms, and (2) to understand which environmental factors and stochastic processes may explain these patterns among microbial clades (archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists) and habitats (host-associated and free living; terrestrial and aquatic). Overall, 78% of microbial macroecology studies focused on free living, aquatic organisms. In addition, most studies examined macroecological rules at the community level with only 35% of studies surveying organismal patterns across space. At the community level microorganisms often tracked patterns of macroorganisms for island biogeography (74% confirm) but rarely followed Latitudinal Diversity Gradients (LDGs) of macroorganisms (only 32% confirm). However, when microorganisms and macroorganisms shared the same macroecological patterns, underlying environmental drivers (e.g., temperature) were the same. Because we found a lack of studies for many microbial groups and habitats, we conclude our review by outlining several outstanding questions and creating recommendations for future studies in microbial ecology.
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8
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Sommers P, Porazinska DL, Darcy JL, Gendron EMS, Vimercati L, Solon AJ, Schmidt SK. Microbial Species-Area Relationships in Antarctic Cryoconite Holes Depend on Productivity. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1747. [PMID: 33171740 PMCID: PMC7694949 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The island species-area relationship (ISAR) is a positive association between the number of species and the area of an isolated, island-like habitat. ISARs are ubiquitous across domains of life, yet the processes generating ISARs remain poorly understood, particularly for microbes. Larger and more productive islands are hypothesized to have more species because they support larger populations of each species and thus reduce the probability of stochastic extinctions in small population sizes. Here, we disentangled the effects of "island" size and productivity on the ISAR of Antarctic cryoconite holes. We compared the species richness of bacteria and microbial eukaryotes on two glaciers that differ in their productivity across varying hole sizes. We found that cryoconite holes on the more productive Canada Glacier gained more species with increasing hole area than holes on the less productive Taylor Glacier. Within each glacier, neither productivity nor community evenness explained additional variation in the ISAR. Our results are, therefore, consistent with productivity shaping microbial ISARs at broad scales. More comparisons of microbial ISARs across environments with limited confounding factors, such as cryoconite holes, and experimental manipulations within these systems will further contribute to our understanding of the processes shaping microbial biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifica Sommers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Dorota L. Porazinska
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (D.L.P.); (E.M.S.G.)
| | - John L. Darcy
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Eli M. S. Gendron
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (D.L.P.); (E.M.S.G.)
| | - Lara Vimercati
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Adam J. Solon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Steven K. Schmidt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
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9
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Zawierucha K, Porazinska DL, Ficetola GF, Ambrosini R, Baccolo G, Buda J, Ceballos JL, Devetter M, Dial R, Franzetti A, Fuglewicz U, Gielly L, Łokas E, Janko K, Novotna Jaromerska T, Kościński A, Kozłowska A, Ono M, Parnikoza I, Pittino F, Poniecka E, Sommers P, Schmidt SK, Shain D, Sikorska S, Uetake J, Takeuchi N. A hole in the nematosphere: tardigrades and rotifers dominate the cryoconite hole environment, whereas nematodes are missing. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K. Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - D. L. Porazinska
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - G. F. Ficetola
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine University Grenoble Alpes Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc CNRS LECA Grenoble France
| | - R. Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milan Italy
| | - G. Baccolo
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - J. Buda
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - J. L. Ceballos
- Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies IDEAM Bogota' Colombia
| | - M. Devetter
- Institute of soil Biology Biology Centre CAS České Budějovice Czech Republic
- Centre for Polar Ecology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia České Budějovice Czech Republic
| | - R. Dial
- Institute of Culture and the Environment Alaska Pacific University Anchorage AK USA
| | - A. Franzetti
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | | | - L. Gielly
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine University Grenoble Alpes Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc CNRS LECA Grenoble France
| | - E. Łokas
- Department of Mass Spectroscopy Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences Kraków Poland
| | - K. Janko
- Laboratory of Fish Genetics Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Libechov Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Science University of Ostrava Ostrava Czech Republic
| | | | | | - A. Kozłowska
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - M. Ono
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering Chiba University Chiba Japan
| | - I. Parnikoza
- State Institution National Antarctic Center of Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Kyiv Ukraine
| | - F. Pittino
- Earth and Environmental Sciences Department University of Milano‐Bicocca Milan Italy
| | - E. Poniecka
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences Cardiff University Cardiff UK
| | - P. Sommers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - S. K. Schmidt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department University of Colorado Boulder CO USA
| | - D. Shain
- Biology Department Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Camden NJ USA
| | - S. Sikorska
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - J. Uetake
- The Arctic Environment Research Center National Institute of Polar Research Tachikawa Japan
| | - N. Takeuchi
- Department of Earth Sciences Graduate School of Science Chiba University Chiba Japan
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10
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Weisleitner K, Perras AK, Unterberger SH, Moissl-Eichinger C, Andersen DT, Sattler B. Cryoconite Hole Location in East-Antarctic Untersee Oasis Shapes Physical and Biological Diversity. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1165. [PMID: 32582104 PMCID: PMC7284004 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Antarctic cryoconite holes (CHs) are mostly perennially ice-lidded and sediment-filled depressions that constitute important features on glaciers and ice sheets. Once being hydrologically connected, these microbially dominated mini-ecosystems provide nutrients and biota for downstream environments. For example, the East Antarctic Anuchin Glacier gradually melts into the adjacent perennially ice-covered Lake Untersee, and CH biota from this glacier contribute up to one third of the community composition in benthic microbial mats within the lake. However, biogeochemical features of these CHs and associated spatial patterns across the glacier are still unknown. Here we hypothesized about the CH minerogenic composition between the different sources such as the medial moraine and other zones. Further, we intended to investigate if the depth of the CH mirrors the CH community composition, organic matter (OM) content and would support productivity. In this study we show that both microbial communities and biogeochemical parameters in CHs were significantly different between the zones medial moraine and the glacier terminus. Variations in microbial community composition are the result of factors such as depth, diameter, organic matter, total carbon, particle size, and mineral diversity. More than 90% of all ribosomal sequence variants (RSV) reads were classified as Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. Archaea were detected in 85% of all samples and exclusively belonged to the classes Halobacteria, Methanomicrobia, and Thermoplasmata. The most abundant genus was Halorubrum (Halobacteria) and was identified in nine RSVs. The core microbiome for bacteria comprised 30 RSVs that were affiliated with Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria. The archaeal fraction of the core microbiome consisted of three RSVs belonging to unknown genera of Methanomicrobiales and Thermoplasmatales and the genus Rice_Cluster_I (Methanocellales). Further, mean bacterial carbon production in cryoconite was exceptionally low and similar rates have not been reported elsewhere. However, bacterial carbon production insignificantly trended toward higher rates in shallow CHs and did not seem to be supported by accumulation of OM and nutrients, respectively, in deeper holes. OM fractions were significantly different between shallower CHs along the medial moraine and deeper CHs at the glacier terminus. Overall, our findings suggest that wind-blown material originating south and southeast of the Anuchin Glacier and deposits from a nunatak are assumed to be local inoculation sources. High sequence similarities between samples from the Untersee Oasis and other Antarctic sites further indicate long-range atmospheric transport mechanisms that complement local inoculation sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klemens Weisleitner
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | - Birgit Sattler
- Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Austrian Polar Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Makowska N, Zawierucha K, Nadobna P, Piątek-Bajan K, Krajewska A, Szwedyk J, Iwasieczko P, Mokracka J, Koczura R. Occurrence of integrons and antibiotic resistance genes in cryoconite and ice of Svalbard, Greenland, and the Caucasus glaciers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:137022. [PMID: 32059297 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of integrons and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a serious threat for public health in the new millennium. Although commonly detected in sites affected by strong anthropogenic pressure, in remote areas their occurrence, dissemination, and transfer to other ecosystems is poorly recognized. Remote sites are considered as a benchmark for human-induced contamination on Earth. For years glaciers were considered pristine, now they are regarded as reservoirs of contaminants, thus studies on contamination of glaciers, which may be released to other ecosystems, are highly needed. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the occurrence and frequency of clinically relevant ARGs and resistance integrons in the genomes of culturable bacteria and class 1 integron-integrase gene copy number in the metagenome of cryoconite, ice and supraglacial gravel collected on two Arctic (South-West Greenland and Svalbard) and two High Mountain (the Caucasus) glaciers. Altogether, 36 strains with intI1 integron-integrase gene were isolated. Presence of class 1 integron-integrase gene was also recorded in metagenomic DNA from all sampling localities. The mean values of relative abundance of intI1 gene varied among samples and ranged from 0.7% in cryoconite from Adishi Glacier (the Caucasus) to 16.3% in cryoconite from Greenland. Moreover, antibiotic-resistant strains were isolated from all regions. Genes conferring resistance to β-lactams (blaSHV, blaTEM, blaOXA, blaCMY), fluoroquinolones (qepA, qnrC), and chloramphenicol (cat, cmr) were detected in the genomes of bacterial isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Makowska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Paulina Nadobna
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Kinga Piątek-Bajan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Anna Krajewska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Jagoda Szwedyk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Patryk Iwasieczko
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna Mokracka
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Ryszard Koczura
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland.
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12
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Bueno de Mesquita CP, Sartwell SA, Schmidt SK, Suding KN. Growing-season length and soil microbes influence the performance of a generalist bunchgrass beyond its current range. Ecology 2020; 101:e03095. [PMID: 32380574 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
As organisms shift their geographic distributions in response to climate change, biotic interactions have emerged as an important factor driving the rate and success of range expansions. Plant-microbe interactions are an understudied but potentially important factor governing plant range shifts. We studied the distribution and function of microbes present in high-elevation unvegetated soils, areas that plants are colonizing as climate warms, snow melts earlier, and the summer growing season lengthens. Using a manipulative snowpack and microbial inoculation transplant experiment, we tested the hypothesis that growing-season length and microbial community composition interact to control plant elevational range shifts. We predicted that a lengthening growing season combined with dispersal to patches of soils with more mutualistic microbes and fewer pathogenic microbes would facilitate plant survival and growth in previously unvegetated areas. We identified negative effects on survival of the common alpine bunchgrass Deschampsia cespitosa in both short and long growing seasons, suggesting an optimal growing-season length for plant survival in this system that balances time for growth with soil moisture levels. Importantly, growing-season length and microbes interacted to affect plant survival and growth, such that microbial community composition increased in importance in suboptimal growing-season lengths. Further, plants grown with microbes from unvegetated soils grew as well or better than plants grown with microbes from vegetated soils. These results suggest that the rate and spatial extent of plant colonization of unvegetated soils in mountainous areas experiencing climate change could depend on both growing-season length and soil microbial community composition, with microbes potentially playing more important roles as growing seasons lengthen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton P Bueno de Mesquita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0334, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0450, USA
| | - Samuel A Sartwell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0334, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0450, USA
| | - Steven K Schmidt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0334, USA
| | - Katharine N Suding
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0334, USA.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309-0450, USA
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13
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Locey KJ, Muscarella ME, Larsen ML, Bray SR, Jones SE, Lennon JT. Dormancy dampens the microbial distance-decay relationship. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190243. [PMID: 32200741 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Much of Earth's biodiversity has the capacity to engage in dormancy, a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity. By increasing resilience to unfavourable conditions, dormancy leads to the accumulation of 'seed banks'. These reservoirs of genetic and phenotypic diversity should diminish the strength of environmental filtering and increase rates of dispersal. Although prevalent among single-celled organisms, evidence that dormancy influences patterns of microbial biogeography is lacking. We constructed geographical and environmental distance-decay relationships (DDRs) for the total (DNA) and active (RNA) portions of bacterial communities in a regional-scale 16S rRNA survey of forested ponds in Indiana, USA. As predicted, total communities harboured greater diversity and exhibited weaker DDRs than active communities. These observations were robust to random resampling and different community metrics. To evaluate the processes underlying the biogeographic patterns, we developed a platform of mechanistic models that used the geographical coordinates and environmental characteristics of our study system. Based on more than 106 simulations, our models approximated the empirical DDRs when there was strong environmental filtering along with the presence of long-lived seed banks. By contrast, the inclusion of dispersal generally decreased model performance. Together, our findings support recent theoretical predictions that seed banks can influence the biogeographic patterns of microbial communities. This article is part of the theme issue 'Conceptual challenges in microbial community ecology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Locey
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - M E Muscarella
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - M L Larsen
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - S R Bray
- Department of Biology, Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - S E Jones
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | - J T Lennon
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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14
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Sommers P, Fontenele RS, Kringen T, Kraberger S, Porazinska DL, Darcy JL, Schmidt SK, Varsani A. Single-Stranded DNA Viruses in Antarctic Cryoconite Holes. Viruses 2019; 11:E1022. [PMID: 31689942 PMCID: PMC6893807 DOI: 10.3390/v11111022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Antarctic cryoconite holes, or small melt-holes in the surfaces of glaciers, create habitable oases for isolated microbial communities with tightly linked microbial population structures. Viruses may influence the dynamics of polar microbial communities, but the viromes of the Antarctic cryoconite holes have yet to be characterized. We characterize single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses from three cryoconite holes in the Taylor Valley, Antarctica, using metagenomics. Half of the assembled metagenomes cluster with those in the viral family Microviridae (n = 7), and the rest with unclassified circular replication associated protein (Rep)-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses (n = 7). An additional 18 virus-like circular molecules encoding either a Rep, a capsid protein gene, or other unidentified but viral-like open reading frames were identified. The samples from which the genomes were identified show a strong gradient in microbial diversity and abundances, and the number of viral genomes detected in each sample mirror that gradient. Additionally, one of the CRESS genomes assembled here shares ~90% genome-wide pairwise identity with a virus identified from a freshwater pond on the McMurdo Ice Shelf (Antarctica). Otherwise, the similarity of these viruses to those previously identified is relatively low. Together, these patterns are consistent with the presence of a unique regional virome present in fresh water host populations of the McMurdo Dry Valley region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifica Sommers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Rafaela S Fontenele
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA.
| | - Tayele Kringen
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA.
| | - Simona Kraberger
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA.
| | - Dorota L Porazinska
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
| | - John L Darcy
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Steven K Schmidt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5001, USA.
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7701, South Africa.
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15
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Sommers P, Porazinska DL, Darcy JL, Zamora F, Fountain AG, Schmidt SK. Experimental cryoconite holes as mesocosms for studying community ecology. Polar Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-019-02572-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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16
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Zawierucha K, Shain DH. Disappearing Kilimanjaro snow-Are we the last generation to explore equatorial glacier biodiversity? Ecol Evol 2019; 9:8911-8918. [PMID: 31410289 PMCID: PMC6686285 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glaciation accompanied our human ancestors in Africa throughout the Pleistocene. Regrettably, equatorial glaciers and snow are disappearing rapidly, and we are likely the last generation who will get to know these peculiar places. Despite the permanently harsh conditions of glacier/snow habitats, they support a remarkable diversity of life ranging from bacteria to animals. Numerous papers have been devoted to microbial communities and unique animals on polar glaciers and high mountains, but only two reports relate to glacial biodiversity in equatorial regions, which are destined to melt completely within the next few decades. Equatorial glaciers constitute "cold islands" in tropics, and discovering their diversity might shed light on the biogeography, dispersal, and history of psychrophiles. Thus, an opportunity to protect biota of equatorial glaciers hinges on ex situ conservation. It is timely and crucial that we should investigate the glacial biodiversity of the few remaining equatorial glaciers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznańPoland
| | - Daniel H. Shain
- Biology DepartmentRutgers, The State University of New JerseyCamdenNew Jersey
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17
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Lutz S, Ziolkowski LA, Benning LG. The Biodiversity and Geochemistry of Cryoconite Holes in Queen Maud Land, East Antarctica. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7060160. [PMID: 31159414 PMCID: PMC6616603 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7060160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryoconite holes are oases of microbial diversity on ice surfaces. In contrast to the Arctic, where during the summer most cryoconite holes are ‘open’, in Continental Antarctica they are most often ‘lidded’ or completely frozen year-round. Thus, they represent ideal systems for the study of microbial community assemblies as well as carbon accumulation, since individual cryoconite holes can be isolated from external inputs for years. Here, we use high-throughput sequencing of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes to describe the bacterial and eukaryotic community compositions in cryoconite holes and surrounding lake, snow, soil and rock samples in Queen Maud Land. We cross correlate our findings with a broad range of geochemical data including for the first time 13C and 14C analyses of Antarctic cryoconites. We show that the geographic location has a larger effect on the distribution of the bacterial community compared to the eukaryotic community. Cryoconite holes are distinct from the local soils in both 13C and 14C and their isotopic composition is different from similar samples from the Arctic. Carbon contents were generally low (≤0.2%) and older (6–10 ky) than the surrounding soils, suggesting that the cryoconite holes are much more isolated from the atmosphere than the soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Lutz
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Lori A Ziolkowski
- University of South Carolina, School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment, 701 Sumter St., EWS 617, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Liane G Benning
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
- Department of Earth Sciences, Free University of Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
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18
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Zawierucha K, Buda J, Nawrot A. Extreme weather event results in the removal of invertebrates from cryoconite holes on an Arctic valley glacier (Longyearbreen, Svalbard). Ecol Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.1276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and EcologyFaculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Jakub Buda
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and EcologyFaculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznań Poland
| | - Adam Nawrot
- Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Warszawa Poland
- forScience Foundation Przeźmierowo Poland
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19
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Sommers P, Darcy JL, Porazinska DL, Gendron EMS, Fountain AG, Zamora F, Vincent K, Cawley KM, Solon AJ, Vimercati L, Ryder J, Schmidt SK. Comparison of Microbial Communities in the Sediments and Water Columns of Frozen Cryoconite Holes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:65. [PMID: 30778338 PMCID: PMC6369369 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cryoconite holes, sediment-filled melt holes on glacier surfaces, appear small and homogenous, their microbial inhabitants may be spatially partitioned. This partitioning could be particularly important for maintaining biodiversity in holes that remain isolated for many years, such as in Antarctica. We hypothesized that cryoconite holes with greater species richness and biomass should exhibit greater partitioning between the sediments and water, promoting greater biodiversity through spatial niche partitioning. We tested this hypothesis by sampling frozen cryoconite holes along a gradient of biomass and biodiversity in the Taylor Valley, Antarctica, where ice-lidded cryoconite holes are a ubiquitous feature of glaciers. We extracted DNA and chlorophyll a from the sediments and water of these samples to describe biodiversity and quantify proxies for biomass. Contrary to our expectation, we found that cryoconite holes with greater richness and biomass showed less partitioning of phylotypes by the sediments versus the water, perhaps indicating that the probability of sediment microbes being mixed into the water is higher from richer sediments. Another explanation may be that organisms from the water were compressed by freezing down to the sediment layer, leaving primarily relic DNA of dead cells to be detected higher in the frozen water. Further evidence of this explanation is that the dominant sequences unique to water closely matched organisms that do not live in cryoconite holes or the Dry Valleys (e.g., vertebrates); so this cryptic biodiversity could represent unknown microbial animals or DNA from atmospheric deposition of dead biomass in the otherwise low-biomass water. Although we cannot rule out spatial niche partitioning occurring at finer scales or in melted cryoconite holes, we found no evidence of partitioning between the sediments and water in frozen holes. Future work should include more sampling of cryoconite holes at a finer spatial scale, and characterizing the communities of the sediments and water when cryoconite holes are melted and active.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifica Sommers
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - John L Darcy
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai'i Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Dorota L Porazinska
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.,Department of Entomology and Nematology, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Eli M S Gendron
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Andrew G Fountain
- Geology Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Felix Zamora
- Geology Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Kim Vincent
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Kaelin M Cawley
- National Ecological Observatory Network Operated by Battelle, Boulder, CO, United States.,Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Adam J Solon
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Lara Vimercati
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Jenna Ryder
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Steven K Schmidt
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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