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Seasonal shift in airborne microbial communities
Romie Tignat-Perrier1, Aurélien Dommergue2, Alban Thollot2
1Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, Grenoble, France; Environmental Microbial Genomics, CNRS UMR 5005 Laboratoire Ampère, École Centrale de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Écully, France.
The Science of the Total Environment
|February 12, 2020
Summary
Airborne microbial communities show seasonal shifts influenced by landscape and weather. Understanding these atmospheric microbes helps identify their sources and the factors shaping their distribution.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric microbiology
- Environmental microbiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Microorganisms are widespread in the atmosphere, and understanding their distribution is key to identifying sources and influencing factors.
- Seasonal shifts in airborne microbial concentration and diversity are observed at mid-latitude sites, particularly in the planetary boundary layer.
- While factors like surface conditions, meteorology, and air circulation are suspected, their precise influence on temporal variations in airborne microbial communities, especially at the taxon level, is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the weekly distribution of airborne bacterial and fungal communities over a year at a mid-latitude continental site.
- To correlate seasonal shifts in microbial community structure with landscape characteristics and meteorological conditions.
- To explore how different microbial taxa and their trophic modes are affected by seasonal changes.
Main Methods:
- Weekly sampling of airborne bacterial and fungal communities over one year.
- Analysis of microbial community distribution at the puy de Dôme site in France (+1465 m altitude).
- Correlation analysis with landscape features (croplands, natural vegetation) and local meteorological data.
Main Results:
- A significant seasonal shift in airborne microbial community structure was observed.
- The seasonal changes in microbial communities correlated with seasonal variations in the surrounding landscape (croplands and natural vegetation).
- Specific airborne microbial taxa exhibited distinct seasonal trends related to their trophic modes, and local meteorological conditions influenced intraseasonal variability.
Conclusions:
- Seasonal changes in landscape characteristics are likely drivers of seasonal shifts in airborne microbial communities.
- The trophic mode of airborne microbes influences their response to seasonal variations.
- Local meteorological conditions contribute to the variability of airborne microbial communities within seasons.
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