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Lithic bacterial communities: ecological aspects focusing on Tintenstrich communities
Francesca Pittino1,2,3, Sabine Fink1, Juliana Oliveira1,2
1Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
Frontiers in Microbiology
|December 16, 2024
Summary
Tintenstrich communities (TCs) are rock-dwelling bacterial ecosystems. This study reveals Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria dominate TCs, with diversity varying by rock type and structure.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Geomicrobiology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Tintenstrich communities (TCs) are ubiquitous microbial ecosystems on rock surfaces.
- These communities, primarily Cyanobacteria, play a role in nutrient cycling.
- Limited ecological data exists for TCs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the bacterial communities of TCs in Switzerland.
- To investigate the influence of rock substrate type on bacterial composition.
- To understand the impact of rock surface structure on microbial diversity.
Main Methods:
- Illumina sequencing was used to analyze bacterial communities.
- Multivariate models were applied to compare community composition.
- Bacterial diversity was assessed on siliceous rocks (SRs) and carbonate rocks (CRs).
Main Results:
- Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla.
- Higher bacterial alpha-diversity was observed on CRs compared to SRs.
- Beta-diversity on SRs correlated with rock surface structure variations.
Conclusions:
- This study provides novel insights into TC bacterial composition.
- Rock substrate and structure significantly influence TC microbial communities.
- Findings differentiate TCs from other rock-associated microbial communities.
