Differential Impacts of Willow and Mineral Fertilizer on Bacterial Communities and Biodegradation in Diesel Fuel Oil-Contaminated Soil.
Despite decades of research there is limited understanding of how vegetation impacts the ability of microbial communities to process organic contaminants in soil. Using a combination of traditional and molecular assays, we examined how phytoremediation with willow and/or fertilization affected the microbial community present and active in the transformation of diesel contaminants. In a pot study, willow had a significant role in structuring the total bacterial community and resulted in significant decreases in diesel range organics (DRO). However, stable isotope probing (SIP) indicated that fertilizer drove the differences seen in community structure and function. Finally, analysis of the total variance in both pot and SIP experiments indicated an interactive effect between willow and fertilizer on the bacterial communities. This study clearly demonstrates that a willow native to Alaska accelerates DRO degradation, and together with fertilizer, increases aromatic degradation by shifting microbial community structure and the identity of active naphthalene degraders.
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks AK, USA.
Mary-Cathrine
MC
Leewis
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic.
Ondrej
O
Uhlik
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic.
Serena
S
Fraraccio
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks AK, USA.
Kelly
K
McFarlin
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic.
Anastasia
A
Kottara
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks AK, USA.
Catherine
C
Glover
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Republic.
Tomas
T
Macek
Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks AK, USA.
Mary Beth
MB
Leigh
Salix alaxensis; bioremediation; diesel range organics; fertilizer; microbial community structure; naphthalene degradation; phytoremediation; stable isotope probing