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Biogeography of Cryoconite Bacterial Communities Across Continents
Qianqian Ge1,2,3, Zhiyuan Chen1,2,3, Yeteng Xu1,2,3
1Yulong Snow Station of Cryosphere and Sustainable Development, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
Microorganisms
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Microbial communities in glacier cryoconite show distinct biogeographical patterns influenced by latitude and human development. Stochastic processes, like dispersal limitation, dominate microbial community assembly across continents, especially at larger spatial scales.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Biogeography
- Glaciology
Background:
- Microbial distribution patterns are key to understanding ecosystem function and global change impacts.
- Cryoconite holes offer a unique, enclosed environment ideal for studying microbial biogeography and biogeochemical cycling.
- Understanding microbial communities in cryoconite is crucial for predicting cryosphere ecosystem evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze bacterial communities in cryoconite across glaciers on a transcontinental scale.
- To elucidate the biogeographical distribution and community assembly processes of cryoconite bacteria.
- To investigate the influence of geographical, climatic, and anthropogenic factors on microbial communities.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of bacterial communities in cryoconite samples from glaciers.
- Statistical analysis of species composition, diversity, and beta diversity.
- Assessment of community assembly mechanisms, including stochastic and deterministic processes.
Main Results:
- Cryoconite bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Actinobacteriota.
- Bacterial diversity was influenced by latitude and the Human Development Index (HDI), showing a hump-shaped relationship with latitude.
- Beta diversity followed a distance-decay pattern, and stochastic processes, particularly dispersal limitation, predominated in community assembly, especially at larger spatial scales.
Conclusions:
- Geographical and anthropogenic factors jointly shape bacterial diversity in cryoconite.
- Stochastic processes are the primary drivers of microbial community assembly in cryoconite, with scale-dependent effects.
- Anthropogenic influences are critical for predicting the future of cryosphere ecosystems under global change.
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