Species-sorting may explain an apparent minimal effect of immigration on freshwater bacterial community dynamics.
Long distance atmospheric transport of bacterial cells is often implied as a driver of the apparent cosmopolitan distribution of bacterial taxa. Surprisingly, efforts to measure immigration in bacterial communities are rare. An 8-week time series of within-lake bacterial community composition and atmospheric deposition rates and composition were used to estimate the influence of immigration on bacterial community dynamics in two north temperate lakes. Characterization of bacterial community dynamics using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis suggested moderate overlap in composition between the lakes and atmospherically deposited cells. However, taxa that appeared to be delivered by atmospheric deposition had a relatively minor influence on lake bacterial community dynamics. The weak influence of immigrating bacterial taxa suggests that a species-sorting concept best describes aquatic bacterial metacommunity dynamics.
Jones
Stuart E
SE
Limnology and Marine Sciences Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
McMahon
Katherine D
KD
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044822:Biodiversity; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer