Impact of Physicochemical Parameters on the Diversity and Distribution of Microbial Communities Associated with Three South African Peatlands

Autor: Shandré S. L. Weels, Pamela J. Welz, Alaric Prins, Marilize Le Roes-Hill
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Microorganisms, Vol 10, Iss 11, p 2103 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 10112103
2076-2607
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10112103
Popis: Peatlands are complex wetland-like ecosystems that harbor diverse microbial communities. In this study, the microbial communities (fungal and actinobacterial) associated with an unimpacted peatland (Vankervelsvlei; VV), an impacted peatland (Goukou River system; GK), and a developing peatland (Nuwejaars River system; NR) were determined through ITS and 16S rRNA metataxonomic analyses. Unidentified Acidimicrobiales dominated in GK and NR, unidentified Intrasporangiaceae and Solirubobacterales in NR, and Corynebacterium, Propionibacterium, and Streptomyces species in VV. The fungal phyla, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, dominated all three sites, and harbored unique fungal taxa belonging to a wide range of fungal guilds. Physicochemical properties of the peat collected from the three sites were analyzed in association with microbial community structures in order to determine which parameters acted as the main drivers for microbial diversity. BEST analysis (linking microbial diversity patterns to environmental variables) showed that nitrogen (N), aluminum (Al), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were the most significant physicochemical drivers of actinobacterial community structure, while iron (Fe) and humification were the environmental parameters that affected the fungal communities the most. In conclusion, this study has provided some insight into the fungal and actinobacterial communities associated with three South African peatlands and the main environmental drivers that influence these communities.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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