Microbial Assemblage Dynamics Within the American Alligator Nesting Ecosystem: a Comparative Approach Across Ecological Scales.
Microbial Assemblage Dynamics Within the American Alligator Nesting Ecosystem: a Comparative Approach Across Ecological Scales.
Microb Ecol. 2020 May 18;:
Authors: Grajal-Puche A, Murray CM, Kearley M, Merchant M, Nix C, Warner JK, Walker DM
Abstract
Understanding the ecological processes that shape species assemblage patterns is central to community ecology. The effects of ecological processes on assemblage patterns are scale-dependent. We used metabarcoding and shotgun sequencing to determine bacterial taxonomic and functional assemblage patterns among varying defined focal scales (micro-, meso-, and macroscale) within the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) nesting microbiome. We correlate bacterial assemblage patterns among eight nesting compartments within and proximal to alligator nests (micro-), across 18 nests (meso-), and between 4 geographic sampling sites (macro-), to determine which ecological processes may drive bacterial assemblage patterns within the nesting environment. Among all focal scales, bacterial taxonomic and functional richness (α-diversity) did not statistically differ. In contrast, bacterial assemblage structure (β-diversity) was unique across all focal scales, whereas functional pathways were redundant within nests and across geographic sites. Considering these observed scale-based patterns, taxonomic bacterial composition may be governed by unique environmental filters and dispersal limitati...
Source: Microbial Ecology - Category: Microbiology Authors: Grajal-Puche A, Murray CM, Kearley M, Merchant M, Nix C, Warner JK, Walker DM Tags: Microb Ecol Source Type: research