title: Trade-offs between microbiome diversity and productivity in a stratified microbial mat.
abstract: Productivity is a major determinant of ecosystem diversity. Microbial ecosystems are the most diverse on the planet yet very few relationships between diversity and productivity have been reported as compared with macro-ecological studies. Here we evaluated the spatial relationships of productivity and microbiome diversity in a laboratory-cultivated photosynthetic mat. The goal was to determine how spatial diversification of microorganisms drives localized carbon and energy acquisition rates. We measured sub-millimeter depth profiles of net primary productivity and gross oxygenic photosynthesis in the context of the localized microenvironment and community structure, and observed negative correlations between species richness and productivity within the energy-replete, photic zone. Variations between localized community structures were associated with distinct taxa as well as environmental profiles describing a continuum of biological niches. Spatial regions in the photic zone corresponding to high primary productivity and photosynthesis rates had relatively low-species richness and high evenness. Hence, this system exhibited negative species-productivity and species-energy relationships. These negative relationships may be indicative of stratified, light-driven microbial ecosystems that are able to be the most productive with a relatively smaller, even distributions of species that specialize within photic zones.
authors: Chemical and Biological Signature Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.|Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.|The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
authors: Hans C
authors: HC
authors: Bernstein
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Colin
authors: C
authors: Brislawn
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.|The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
authors: Ryan S
authors: RS
authors: Renslow
authors: Chemical and Biological Signature Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Karl
authors: K
authors: Dana
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Beau
authors: B
authors: Morton
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Stephen R
authors: SR
authors: Lindemann
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Hyun-Seob
authors: HS
authors: Song
authors: The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
authors: Erhan
authors: E
authors: Atci
authors: The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
authors: Haluk
authors: H
authors: Beyenal
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: James K
authors: JK
authors: Fredrickson
authors: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: Janet K
authors: JK
authors: Jansson
authors: Chemical and Biological Signature Science, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
authors: James J
authors: JJ
authors: Moran
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D017753:Ecosystem; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D008027:Light; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D011157:Population Dynamics
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon