title: Temporal variability of bacterial communities in cryoconite on an alpine glacier.
abstract: Cryoconite holes, that is, small ponds that form on glacier surface, are considered the most biologically active environments on glaciers. Bacterial communities in these environments have been extensively studied, but often through snapshot studies based on the assumption of a general stability of community structure. In this study, the temporal variation of bacterial communities in cryoconite holes on the Forni Glacier (Italian Alps) was investigated by high throughput DNA sequencing. A temporal change of bacterial communities was observed with autotrophic Cyanobacteria populations dominating communities after snowmelt, and heterotrophic Sphingobacteriales populations increasing in abundance later in the season. Bacterial communities also varied according to hole depth and area, amount of organic matter in the cryoconite and oxygen concentration. However, variation in environmental features explained a lower fraction of the variation in bacterial communities than temporal variation. Temporal change along ablation season seems therefore more important than local environmental conditions in shaping bacterial communities of cryoconite of the Forni Glacier. These findings challenge the assumption that bacterial communities of cryoconite holes are stable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franzetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Navarra
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilario
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gandolfi
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bestetti
authors.affiliation: "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Minora
authors.affiliation: "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto Sergio
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Azzoni
authors.affiliation: "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Diolaiuti
authors.affiliation: "A. Desio" Department of Earth Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smiraglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT) - University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ambrosini
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D058448:Biota; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D046448:Ice Cover / Q000382:microbiology*; D007558:Italy; D056186:Metagenomics; D012621:Seasons