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Mineral Type Structures Soil Microbial Communities

Ahmed, Engy ; Hugerth, Luisa W. ; Logue, Jürg B. LU ; Brüchert, Volker ; Andersson, Anders F. and Holmström, Sara J M (2017) In Geomicrobiology Journal 34(6). p.538-545
Abstract

Soil microorganisms living in close contact with minerals play key roles in the biogeochemical cycling of elements, soil formation, and plant nutrition. Yet, the composition of microbial communities inhabiting the mineralosphere (i.e., the soil surrounding minerals) is poorly understood. Here, we explored the composition of soil microbial communities associated with different types of minerals in various soil horizons. To this effect, a field experiment was set up in which mineral specimens of apatite, biotite, and oligoclase were buried in the organic, eluvial, and upper illuvial horizons of a podzol soil. After an incubation period of two years, the soil attached to the mineral surfaces was collected, and microbial communities were... (More)

Soil microorganisms living in close contact with minerals play key roles in the biogeochemical cycling of elements, soil formation, and plant nutrition. Yet, the composition of microbial communities inhabiting the mineralosphere (i.e., the soil surrounding minerals) is poorly understood. Here, we explored the composition of soil microbial communities associated with different types of minerals in various soil horizons. To this effect, a field experiment was set up in which mineral specimens of apatite, biotite, and oligoclase were buried in the organic, eluvial, and upper illuvial horizons of a podzol soil. After an incubation period of two years, the soil attached to the mineral surfaces was collected, and microbial communities were analyzed by means of Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S (prokaryotic) and 18S (eukaryotic) ribosomal RNA genes. We found that both composition and diversity of bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities varied across the different mineral surfaces, and that mineral type had a greater influence on structuring microbial assemblages than soil horizon. Thus, our findings emphasize the importance of mineral surfaces as ecological niches in soils.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Apatite, biotite, microbial ecology, oligoclase, podzol
in
Geomicrobiology Journal
volume
34
issue
6
pages
538 - 545
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84996486105
  • wos:000401743100006
ISSN
0149-0451
DOI
10.1080/01490451.2016.1225868
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
57861be9-52d5-480a-bcef-9c4e4e0a9f72
date added to LUP
2016-12-12 08:17:09
date last changed
2024-01-19 15:27:47
@article{57861be9-52d5-480a-bcef-9c4e4e0a9f72,
  abstract     = {{<p>Soil microorganisms living in close contact with minerals play key roles in the biogeochemical cycling of elements, soil formation, and plant nutrition. Yet, the composition of microbial communities inhabiting the mineralosphere (i.e., the soil surrounding minerals) is poorly understood. Here, we explored the composition of soil microbial communities associated with different types of minerals in various soil horizons. To this effect, a field experiment was set up in which mineral specimens of apatite, biotite, and oligoclase were buried in the organic, eluvial, and upper illuvial horizons of a podzol soil. After an incubation period of two years, the soil attached to the mineral surfaces was collected, and microbial communities were analyzed by means of Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S (prokaryotic) and 18S (eukaryotic) ribosomal RNA genes. We found that both composition and diversity of bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities varied across the different mineral surfaces, and that mineral type had a greater influence on structuring microbial assemblages than soil horizon. Thus, our findings emphasize the importance of mineral surfaces as ecological niches in soils.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ahmed, Engy and Hugerth, Luisa W. and Logue, Jürg B. and Brüchert, Volker and Andersson, Anders F. and Holmström, Sara J M}},
  issn         = {{0149-0451}},
  keywords     = {{Apatite; biotite; microbial ecology; oligoclase; podzol}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{538--545}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Geomicrobiology Journal}},
  title        = {{Mineral Type Structures Soil Microbial Communities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2016.1225868}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/01490451.2016.1225868}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}