The Same Source of Microbes has a Divergent Assembly Trajectory Along a Hot Spring Flowing Path

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Ecology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Hot spring microbial mats are complex biofilms with diverse microbial communities.
• Horizontal spatial composition and functional structure mechanisms are understudied.
• Previous research focused on vertical mat structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate microbial community assembly processes in hot spring mats along a temperature gradient.
• To determine the contributions of species source, local environment, and species interaction.
• To understand horizontal spatial structuring in extreme environments.

Main Methods:

• Studied six microbial mat regions in a hot spring with decreasing temperatures (73.3°C to 52.8°C).
• Analyzed microbial community composition and potential functions.
• Assessed the influence of water flow, environmental variables, and species interactions.

Main Results:

• Despite divergent community structures, a large proportion of microbes (45.50%-80.29%) originated from a single source community.
• Source species dispersed via water flow were filtered by local environmental factors.
• Key species with specific functions influenced microbial interactions and community assembly.

Conclusions:

• Microbial assembly in hot spring mats is governed by species dispersal, environmental filtering, and local interactions.
• Water flow is a significant driver of horizontal microbial community structure.
• These findings provide insights into microbial community assembly in extreme environments.