Niche-mediated bacterial community composition in continental glacier alluvial valleys under cold and arid environments

Xianke Chen; Xiangning Qi; Ge Ren; Ruiying Chang; Xiang Qin; Guohua Liu; Guoqiang Zhuang; Anzhou Ma

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1120151

Niche-mediated bacterial community composition in continental glacier alluvial valleys under cold and arid environments

Front Microbiol. 2023 Mar 9:14:1120151. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1120151. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xianke Chen^{1

2

3}, Xiangning Qi^{1

4}, Ge Ren⁵, Ruiying Chang⁶, Xiang Qin⁷, Guohua Liu^{1

4}, Guoqiang Zhuang^{1

4}, Anzhou Ma^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³ Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China.
⁴ College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁵ National Institute of Metrology, Beijing, China.
⁶ Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.
⁷ Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Eco-Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Bacteria are an essential component of glacier-fed ecosystems and play a dominant role in driving elemental cycling in the hydrosphere and pedosphere. However, studies of bacterial community composition mechanisms and their potential ecological functions from the alluvial valley of mountain glaciers are extremely scarce under cold and arid environments.

Methods: Here, we analyzed the effects of major physicochemical parameters related to soil on the bacterial community compositions in an alluvial valley of the Laohugou Glacier No. 12 from the perspective of core, other, and unique taxa and explored their functional composition characteristics.

Results and discussion: The different characteristics of core, other, and unique taxa highlighted the conservation and difference in bacterial community composition. The bacterial community structure of the glacial alluvial valley was mainly affected by the above sea level, soil organic carbon, and water holding capacity. In addition, the most common and active carbon metabolic pathways and their spatial distribution patterns along the glacial alluvial valley were revealed by FAPTOTAX. Collectively, this study provides new insights into the comprehensive assessment of glacier-fed ecosystems in glacial meltwater ceasing or glacier disappearance.

Keywords: adaptive difference; composition pattern; continental glacier; core bacteria; structure characteristic.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (2019QZKK0402 and 2019QZKK0307), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0901200), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41671270, 41907272, and 41673082).