Microbial Contributions Between Sediment and Water in Yuncheng Salt Lake
Author Information
Author(s): Han Mingxian, Yu Huiying, Huang Jianrong, Wang Chuanxu, Li Xin, Wang Xiaodong, Xu Liu, Zhao Jingjing, Jiang Hongchen
Primary Institution: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences
Hypothesis
In saline lakes, sedimentary microbial communities may not be able to survive in the overlying water, and vice versa.
Conclusion
The study found that microbial contributions between sediment and water in Yuncheng Salt Lake are limited, with a smaller salinity gap potentially increasing these contributions.
Supporting Evidence
- Only 0.10–8.47% of sediment microbial communities originated from lake water.
- 0.12–10.78% of aquatic microbial communities came from sediment.
- The assembly of sedimentary communities was mainly controlled by stochastic processes (>59%).
- The assembly of aquatic communities was mainly controlled by deterministic processes (>88%).
- Sediments had a higher potential for metabolic pathways related to specific biogeochemical functions than lake water.
Takeaway
Microbes in lake sediment and water don't mix much, but if the salt levels are similar, they might share more microbes.
Methodology
The study used source tracking and Illumina MiSeq sequencing to analyze microbial communities in sediment and water samples.
Limitations
Sampling was conducted at a single time point, which may not account for seasonal variability.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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