Bacterial diversity along a 2600 km river continuum.
The bacterioplankton diversity in large rivers has thus far been under-sampled despite the importance of streams and rivers as components of continental landscapes. Here, we present a comprehensive dataset detailing the bacterioplankton diversity along the midstream of the Danube River and its tributaries. Using 16S rRNA-gene amplicon sequencing, our analysis revealed that bacterial richness and evenness gradually declined downriver in both the free-living and particle-associated bacterial communities. These shifts were also supported by beta diversity analysis, where the effects of tributaries were negligible in regards to the overall variation. In addition, the river was largely dominated by bacteria that are commonly observed in freshwaters. Dominated by the acI lineage, the freshwater SAR11 (LD12) and the Polynucleobacter group, typical freshwater taxa increased in proportion downriver and were accompanied by a decrease in soil and groundwater-affiliated bacteria. Based on views of the meta-community and River Continuum Concept, we interpret the observed taxonomic patterns and accompanying changes in alpha and beta diversity with the intention of laying the foundation for a unified concept for river bacterioplankton diversity.
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Ecology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Domenico
D
Savio
Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Lucas
L
Sinclair
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Umer Z
UZ
Ijaz
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Juraj
J
Parajka
Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Ecology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water and Health, www.waterandhealth.at, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Georg H
GH
Reischer
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Institute for Water Quality, Resource and Waste Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Philipp
P
Stadler
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Alfred P
AP
Blaschke
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resource Management, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Günter
G
Blöschl
Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Ecology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.
Robert L
RL
Mach
Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water and Health, www.waterandhealth.at, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Water Hygiene, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Alexander K T
AK
Kirschner
Centre for Water Resource Systems (CWRS), Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Research Group Environmental Microbiology and Molecular Ecology, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria.|Interuniversity Cooperation Centre Water and Health, www.waterandhealth.at, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Andreas H
AH
Farnleitner
Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Alexander
A
Eiler
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D005060:Europe; D010933:Plankton / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology*
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S