Disentangling drivers of mudflat intertidal DOM chemodiversity using ecological models.

Area of Science:

• Chemical ecology
• Microbial ecology
• Biogeochemistry

Background:

• Microorganisms transform dissolved organic matter (DOM), but ecological patterns of DOM chemodiversity and microbial communities are not well understood.
• Investigating the interplay between DOM, microbes, and environmental factors is crucial for understanding coastal ecosystem functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the ecological patterns and drivers of DOM chemodiversity in Chinese intertidal zones.
• To determine the relationship between DOM molecular composition, microbial communities, and environmental heterogeneity.
• To elucidate the mechanisms shaping DOM and microbial community structure.

Main Methods:

• Large-scale field investigation along Chinese coasts.
• Analysis of DOM molecular formulae distribution and diversity patterns (e.g., distance-decay, latitudinal gradients).
• Stochasticity analyses to identify drivers of DOM compositional variations.

Main Results:

• DOM molecular formulae abundance follows log-normal distribution and Taylor's Law.
• Labile DOM showed distance-decay relationships, while recalcitrant DOM exhibited latitudinal diversity gradients.
• Negative cohesion, bacterial diversity, and molecular traits were key drivers of DOM chemodiversity, with determinism dominating compositional changes.

Conclusions:

• Ecological patterns of DOM chemodiversity are analogous to microbial communities.
• Deterministic processes are the primary drivers of intertidal DOM compositional variations.
• This study deepens the understanding of microbially driven chemical ecology in coastal zones.