Dendritic stream networks are an intriguing subject for exploring the spatial and temporal variability of the rare and common bacterial biosphere, yet very few such studies have been conducted. We sampled riverine bacterioplankton at 13 sites in a subarctic riverine network across 3 years, with five sampling times each year. Ordinations showed a consistent pattern of downstream shift for both rare and abundant subcommunities. We also detected a temporal signal, with seasonal community shifts reflecting changes in water temperature and groundwater contribution, and an inter-annual pattern where the year 2018 differed from other years. Phylogenetic turnover of the rare subcommunity indicated homogeneous selection, whereas the abundant subcommunity was mainly stochastically structured. Transiently rare taxa were the dominant type of rarity with the highest proportion at the headwater regions. The bacterioplankton community was characterized by a small group of core taxa that occurred at most sites with little temporal variation, a very large number of permanently or transiently rare taxa, and taxa shifting through time between the rare and abundant biosphere. While this basic structure could have been detected with less extensive temporal replication, a comprehensive understanding of the rare biosphere in riverine bacterioplankton can only be achieved via inter-annual, spatially replicated sampling that covers the whole stream network.
© 2024 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Applied Microbiology International and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.