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Phylogenetic composition of Rocky Mountain endolithic microbial ecosystems
Jeffrey J Walker1, Norman R Pace
1Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0347, USA.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|April 10, 2007
Summary
Microbial life thrives within rocks, forming simple yet complex ecosystems. These endolithic communities, seeded globally, follow macroecological patterns, revealing surprising biogeographical influences.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Biogeography
- Molecular Ecology
Background:
- Endolithic environments (rock pore spaces) are widespread microbial habitats.
- Photosynthesis-based endolithic communities exist in the shallow subsurface of rocks.
- These ecosystems are valuable models for microbial ecology principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test hypotheses regarding endolithic ecosystem structure and function.
- To investigate community composition using culture-independent molecular methods.
- To compare endolithic communities in the Rocky Mountains.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of rRNA gene sequences to determine community composition.
- Application of statistical phylogenetic methods for community comparison.
- Study of endolithic communities in the Rocky Mountain region, USA.
Main Results:
- Endolithic ecosystems are seeded from a restricted global metacommunity.
- These communities represent some of the simplest known microbial ecosystems.
- Biogeographical factors, like rock type, influence community composition more complexly than anticipated.
Conclusions:
- Endolithic ecosystems function as true ecological communities.
- Microbial diversity patterns in endolithic systems mirror macroecological principles.
- Biogeographical controls on microbial communities are intricate and widespread.
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