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Light structures phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface
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Davies, Lawrence O., Schäfer, Hendrik, Marshall, Samantha, Bramke, Irene, Oliver, Robin G. and Bending, G. D. (2013) Light structures phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface. PLoS One, Volume 8 (Number 7). Article number e69048. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069048
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069048
Abstract
The upper few millimeters of soil harbour photosynthetic microbial communities that are structurally distinct from those of underlying bulk soil due to the presence of light. Previous studies in arid zones have demonstrated functional importance of these communities in reducing soil erosion, and enhancing carbon and nitrogen fixation. Despite being widely distributed, comparative understanding of the biodiversity of the soil surface and underlying soil is lacking, particularly in temperate zones. We investigated the establishment of soil surface communities on pasture soil in microcosms exposed to light or dark conditions, focusing on changes in phototroph, bacterial and fungal communities at the soil surface (0–3 mm) and bulk soil (3–12 mm) using ribosomal marker gene analyses. Microbial community structure changed with time and structurally similar phototrophic communities were found at the soil surface and in bulk soil in the light exposed microcosms suggesting that light can influence phototroph community structure even in the underlying bulk soil. 454 pyrosequencing showed a significant selection for diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Nostoc punctiforme and Anabaena spp., in addition to the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus. The soil surface also harboured distinct heterotrophic bacterial and fungal communities in the presence of light, in particular, the selection for the phylum Firmicutes. However, these light driven changes in bacterial community structure did not extend to the underlying soil suggesting a discrete zone of influence, analogous to the rhizosphere.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||
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| Subjects: | Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QH Natural history > QH426 Genetics Q Science > QK Botany |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) | ||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Soil microbiology, Soil biology , Microbial genetics , Soil erosion, Photosynthetic bacteria | ||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | PLoS One | ||||
| Publisher: | Public Library of Science | ||||
| ISSN: | 1932-6203 | ||||
| Official Date: | 2013 | ||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | Volume 8 | ||||
| Number: | Number 7 | ||||
| Page Range: | Article number e69048 | ||||
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0069048 | ||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | ||||
| Funder: | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (BBSRC) | ||||
| Grant number: | BB/H530970/2 |
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