Phylogenetic Ecology of the Freshwater Actinobacteria acI Lineage

The acI lineage of freshwater Actinobacteria is a cosmopolitan and often numerically dominant member of lake bacterial communities. We conducted a survey of acI 16S rRNA genes and 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer regions from 18 Wisconsin lakes and used standard nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic statistical approaches to investigate the factors that determine acI community composition at the local scale (within lakes) and at the regional scale (across lakes). Phylogenetic reconstruction of 434 acI 16S rRNA genes revealed a well-defined and highly resolved phylogeny. Eleven previously unrecognized monophyletic clades, each with ≥97.9% within-clade 16S rRNA gene sequence identity, were identified. Clade community similarity positively correlated with lake environmental similarity but not with geographic distance, implying that the lakes represent a single biotic region containing environmental filters for communities that have similar compositions. Phylogenetically disparate clades within the acI lineage were most abundant at the regional scale, and local communities were comprised of more closely related clades. Lake pH was a strong predictor of the community composition, but only when lakes with a pH below 6 were included in the data set. In the remaining lakes (pH above 6) biogeographic patterns in the landscape were instead a predictor of the observed acI community structure. The nonrandom distribution of the newly defined acI clades suggests potential ecophysiological differences between the clades, with acI clades AI, BII, and BIII preferring acidic lakes and acI clades AII, AVI, and BI preferring more alkaline lakes.     

Response of Archaeal Community Structure to Environmental Changes in Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau,Northwestern China

To study how archaeal community responds to environmental changes, we investigated archaeal community structures in waters of three Tibetan saline lakes in northwestern China (Gahai, Xiaochaidan, and Charhan Lakes) with 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. Temperature, pH, and water chemistry (major anions and cations) of the lakes were measured. Three archaeal clone libraries were constructed with a total of 297 sequences. Incorporating our previous data obtained from other lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, we performed statistical analyses to identify dominant environmental parameters that could account for the observed variations in archaeal community structure. We concluded that salinity and water chemistry (Na and bicarbonate concentration in particular) played an important role in shaping archaeal community. In particular, the relative abundance of archaeal 16S rRNA genes affiliated with the Halobacteriales of the Euryarchaeota increased with salinity, whereas that of crenarchaeotal 16S rRNA gene sequences showed the opposite trend. Crenarchaeotal 16S rRNA gene sequences were retrieved from lake waters with salinity up to 28.3%. These results have important implications for our understanding of response of archaeal community to environmental changes in high-altitude lake ecosystems.     

Diversity and biogeographical patterns of yeast communities in Antarctic,Patagonian and tropical lakes

We investigated the distribution patterns of yeast communities in freshwater lakes along a latitudinal gradient in order to evaluate yeast biogeography at intercontinental (501–8000 km), regional (0–500 km) and local (0–1 km) geographical scales. We identified 285 yeast isolates belonging to 64 species based on sequence analysis of the ITS-5.8S region and the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit of rRNA genes. Distance decay analysis showed a significant negative slope curve at the intercontinental scale. At the intercontinental and regional scales, the dissimilarity of the yeast communities was correlated with geographical distance, with community similarity decreasing with increasing distance. The physiological profiles of the yeast communities from tropical and Patagonian lakes were similar but were different from those of Antarctic lakes. This is the first report of latitudinal patterns of lake yeast diversity along a gradient extending from Antarctic to tropical environments.     

Bacterial 'cosmopolitanism' and importance of local environmental factors for community composition in remote high-altitude lakes

1. In October 2004, plankton samples were collected from six permanent lakes located between 4960 and 5440 m a.s.l. in the Mount Everest region (Nepal) to assess how spatial and local environmental factors affect natural bacterial community composition. Fingerprinting analysis of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragment was done by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE).
2. The number of DGGE bands (range: 12–23) was not correlated with lake area or remoteness, but there was a strong negative correlation with the ratio of catchment to lake area ( r  = −0.826, P  <   0.05), suggesting that hydraulic retention time affects the establishment of the bacterial community in these seepage lakes.
3. Most dominant sequences belonged to Betaproteobacteria except in two lakes where members of Bacteroidetes made the largest relative contribution. Up to 81% of the phylotypes had high similarity (>98 to 100%) in partial 16S rRNA gene sequence to those reported from other alpine lakes and glaciers around the world, suggesting the presence of 'cosmopolitan' bacteria.
4. An analysis based on dissimilarity matrices and the Mantel test revealed the existence of dissimilarities in bacterial community composition related to geographical distance over a small spatial scale (<6 km), but determined by local environmental constraints.
5. Our results suggest that several bacterial phylotypes are ubiquitous in the freshwater aquatic realm, but taxon sorting by local environmental constraints is important.     

Specific detection, isolation, and characterization of selected, previously uncultured members of the freshwater bacterioplankton community

High-throughput cultivation was combined with rapid and group-specific phylogenetic fingerprinting in order to recover representatives of three freshwater bacterioplankton communities. A total of 570 bacterial cultures were obtained by employing the most probable number and MicroDrop techniques. The majority of the cultured bacteria were closely related to previously uncultured bacteria and grouped with the alpha-Proteobacteria, beta-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, or Flavobacteria-Cytophaga lineage. Correspondingly, the natural bacterioplankton community was analyzed by high-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these five bacterial lineages. 16S rRNA gene fragments were generated for each lineage and subsequently separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. By the combination of five group-specific PCR protocols, the total number of 16S rRNA gene fingerprints generated from the natural communities was increased sixfold compared to conventional (eubacterial) fingerprinting. Four of the environmental alpha-Proteobacteria 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from the natural community were found to be identical to those of bacterial isolates. One of these phylotypes was detected in 14 different cultures and hence represented the most frequently cultured bacterium. Three of these 14 strains were characterized in detail. Their complete 16S rRNA gene sequences showed only 93% similarity to that of Sandaracinobacter sibiricus, the closest relative described so far. The novel phylotype of bacterium is a strict aerobe capable of using numerous organic carbon substrates and contains bacteriochlorophyll a bound to two different photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes. Dot blot hybridization revealed that the strains occur in lakes of different trophic status and constitute up to 2% of the microbial community.     

Characterization of bacterial communities in four freshwater lakes differing in nutrient load and food web structure

The phylogenetic composition of bacterioplankton communities in the water column of four shallow eutrophic lakes was analyzed by partially sequencing cloned 16S rRNA genes and by PCR-DGGE analysis. The four lakes differed in nutrient load and food web structure: two were in a clearwater state and had dense stands of submerged macrophytes, while two others were in a turbid state characterized by the occurrence of phytoplankton blooms. One turbid and one clearwater lake had very high nutrient levels (total phosphorus > 100 microg/l), while the other lakes were less nutrient rich (total phosphorus < 100 microg/l). Cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling and ANOSIM (analysis of similarity) were used to investigate differences among the bacterial community composition in the four lakes. Our results show that each lake has its own distinct bacterioplankton community. The samples of lake Blankaart differed substantially from those of the other lakes; this pattern was consistent throughout the year of study. The bacterioplankton community composition in lake Blankaart seems to be less diverse and less stable than in the other three lakes. Clone library results reveal that Actinobacteria strongly dominated the bacterial community in lake Blankaart. The relative abundance of Betaproteobacteria was low, whereas this group was dominant in the other three lakes. Turbid lakes had a higher representation of Cyanobacteria, while clearwater lakes were characterized by more representatives of the Bacteroidetes. Correlating our DGGE data with environmental parameters, using the BIOENV procedure, suggests that differences are partly related to the equilibrium state of the lake.     

A comprehensive census of lake microbial diversity on a global scale

Despite recent interest in microbial diversity and community structure of lakes across various spatial scales, a global biogeographic distribution pattern and its controlling factors have not been fully disclosed. Here, we compiled and analyzed 88,334,735 environmental 16S rRNA sequences from 431 lakes across a wide range of geographical distance and environmental conditions(in particular, salinity, 0–373.3 gL~(–1)). Our results showed that lake sediments inhabit significantly(ANOVA: P0.001) more diverse microbial communities than lake waters. Non-metric dimensional scaling(NMDS) ordinations indicated that microbial community compositions differed distinctly among sample types(freshwater vs. saline, water vs. sediment) and geographic locations. Mantel and partial Mantel tests showed that microbial community composition in lake water was significantly(P=0.001) correlated with geographic distance, salinity, and pH. Statistical analyses based on neutral community and null models indicated that stochastic processes may play predominant roles in shaping the microbial biogeographic distribution patterns in the studied global lake waters. The dispersal-related stochasticity(e.g., homogenizing dispersal) exhibited a stronger influence on the distribution of microbial community in freshwater lakes than in saline lakes. Overall, this work expands our understanding of the impact of geographic distance, environmental conditions, and stochastic processes on microbial distribution in global lakes.     

Abundances, identity, and growth state of actinobacteria in mountain lakes of different UV transparency

The occurrence, identity, and activity of microbes from the class Actinobacteria was studied in the surface waters of 10 oligo- to mesotrophic mountain lakes located between 913 m and 2,799 m above sea level. Oligonucleotide probes were designed to distinguish between individual lineages within this group by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Bacteria of a single phylogenetic lineage (acI) represented >90% of all Actinobacteria in the studied lakes, and they constituted up to 70% of the total bacterial abundances. In the subset of eight lakes situated above the treeline, the community contribution of bacteria from the acI lineage was significantly correlated with the ambient levels of solar UV radiation (UV transparency, r(2) = 0.72; P < 0.01). Three distinct genotypic subpopulations were distinguished within acI that constituted varying fractions of all Actinobacteria in the different lakes. The abundance of growing actinobacterial cells was estimated by FISH and immunocytochemical detection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation into de novo-synthesized DNA. The percentages of Actinobacteria with visible DNA synthesis approximately corresponded to the average percentages of BrdU-positive cells in the total assemblages. Actinobacteria from different subclades of the acI lineage, therefore, constituted an important autochthonous element of the aquatic microbial communities in many of the studied lakes, potentially also due to their higher UV resistance.     

Specific Detection, Isolation, and Characterization of Selected, Previously Uncultured Members of the Freshwater Bacterioplankton Community

High-throughput cultivation was combined with rapid and group-specific phylogenetic fingerprinting in order to recover representatives of three freshwater bacterioplankton communities. A total of 570 bacterial cultures were obtained by employing the most probable number and MicroDrop techniques. The majority of the cultured bacteria were closely related to previously uncultured bacteria and grouped with the α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, or Flavobacteria-Cytophaga lineage. Correspondingly, the natural bacterioplankton community was analyzed by high-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these five bacterial lineages. 16S rRNA gene fragments were generated for each lineage and subsequently separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. By the combination of five group-specific PCR protocols, the total number of 16S rRNA gene fingerprints generated from the natural communities was increased sixfold compared to conventional (eubacterial) fingerprinting. Four of the environmental α-Proteobacteria 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from the natural community were found to be identical to those of bacterial isolates. One of these phylotypes was detected in 14 different cultures and hence represented the most frequently cultured bacterium. Three of these 14 strains were characterized in detail. Their complete 16S rRNA gene sequences showed only 93% similarity to that of Sandaracinobacter sibiricus, the closest relative described so far. The novel phylotype of bacterium is a strict aerobe capable of using numerous organic carbon substrates and contains bacteriochlorophyll a bound to two different photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes. Dot blot hybridization revealed that the strains occur in lakes of different trophic status and constitute up to 2% of the microbial community.     

Diversity and seasonal dynamics of Actinobacteria populations in four lakes in northeastern Germany

The phylogenetic diversity and seasonal dynamics of freshwater Actinobacteria populations in four limnologically different lakes of the Mecklenburg-Brandenburg Lake District (northeastern Germany) were investigated. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to determine the seasonal abundances and dynamics of total Actinobacteria (probe HGC69a) and the three actinobacterial subclusters acI, acI-A, and acI-B (probes AcI-852, AcI-840-1, and AcI-840-2). Seasonal means of total Actinobacteria abundances in the epilimnia of the lakes varied from 13 to 36%, with maximum values of 30 to 58%, of all DAPI (4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole)-stained cells. Around 80% of total Actinobacteria belonged to the acI cluster. The two subclusters acI-A and acI-B accounted for 60 to 91% of the acI cluster and showed seasonal means of 49% (acI-B) and 23% (acI-A) in relation to the acI cluster. Total Actinobacteria and members of the clusters acI and acI-B showed distinct seasonal changes in their absolute abundances, with maxima in late spring and fall/winter. In eight clone libraries constructed from the lakes, a total of 76 actinobacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences were identified from a total of 177 clones. The majority of the Actinobacteria sequences belonged to the acI and acIV cluster. Several new clusters and subclusters were found (acSTL, scB1-4, and acIVA-D). The majority of all obtained 16S rRNA gene sequences are distinct from those of already-cultured freshwater Actinobacteria.     

Composition of freshwater bacterial communities associated with cyanobacterial blooms in four Swedish lakes

The diversity of freshwater bacterioplankton communities has not been extensively studied despite their key role in foodwebs and the cycling of carbon and associated major elements. In order to explore and characterize the composition of bacterioplankton associated with cyanobacterial blooms, large 16S rRNA clone libraries from four lakes experiencing such blooms were analysed. The four libraries contained 1461 clones, of which 559 were prokaryotic sequences of non-cyanobacterial origin. These clones were classified into 158 operational taxonomic units affiliated mainly with bacterial divisions commonly found in freshwater systems, e.g. Proteobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Planctomycetes. Richness and evenness of non-cyanobacterial clones were similar to other clone libraries obtained for freshwater bacterioplankton, suggesting that bacterial communities accompanying cyanobacterial blooms are as diverse as non-bloom communities. Many of the identified operational taxonomic units grouped with known freshwater clusters but the libraries also contained novel clusters of bacterial sequences that may be characteristic for cyanobacterial blooms. About 25% of the operational taxonomic units were detected in more than one lake. Even so, 16S rRNA heterogeneity analysis demonstrated large differences in community composition between lakes regardless of their similar characteristics and close proximity. Hence even the similar environmental conditions created by different cyanobacterial blooms may foster very dissimilar bacterial communities, which could indicate that the genetic diversity in lake bacteria have been underestimated in the past.     

PCR‐DGGE Fingerprinting Analysis of Plankton Communities and Its Relationship to Lake Trophic Status

Plankton communities in eight lakes of different trophic status near Yangtze, China were charac‐terized by using denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Various water quality parameters were also measured at each collection site. Following extraction of DNA from plankton communi‐ties, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes were amplified with specific primers for prokaryotes and eu‐karyotes, respectively; DNA profiles were developed by DGGE. The plankton community of each lake had its own distinct DNA profile. The total number of bands identified at 34 sampling stations ranged from 37 to 111. Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes displayed complex fingerprints composed of a large number of bands: 16 to 59 bands were obtained with the prokaryotic primer set; 21 to 52 bands for the eukaryotic primer set. The DGGE‐patterns were analyzed in relation to water quality parameters by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Temperature, pH, alkalinity, and the con‐centration of COD, TP and TN were strongly correlated with the DGGE patterns. The parameters that demonstrated a strong correlation to the DGGE fingerprints of the plankton community differed among lakes, suggesting that differences in the DGGE fingerprints were due mainly to lake trophic status. Results of the present study suggest that PCR‐DGGE fingerprinting is an effective and precise method of identifying changes to plankton community composition, and therefore could be a useful ecological tool for monitoring the response of aquatic ecosystems to environmental perturbations. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spatial isolation and fish communities in drainage lakes

Fifty-two drainage lakes, located in south-central Ontario, Canada, were examined to study the association of isolation- and environment-related factors with fish community composition. Eight quantitative measures of lake isolation were examined, each of which incorporated potential ecological "challenges" that a fish encounters when moving between lakes. A Procrustean approach was employed to assess the degree of concordance between fish assemblage structure, measures of lake isolation and environmental conditions (i.e., lake morphology and water chemistry). Our results revealed a high concordance between patterns in fish community composition and lake isolation and lake morphology at the watershed scale, suggesting that insular and habitat-related factors influence the structure of fish communities. At the scale of the individual lake, this relationship varied greatly, ranging from a strong match of community composition with both spatial and abiotic conditions to communities exhibiting weak association with these conditions. Furthermore, we showed that alternative measures of lake isolation provide additional insight into potential factors shaping patterns in fish community composition; information not provided using straight-line distances between lakes. Finally, the statistical methodology outlined in this paper provides a robust technique for assessing both the overall association between multivariate data matrices (i.e., landscape or regional scale), as well as facilitating the examination of smaller-scale relationships of individual observations (i.e., local scale).     

Diversity and dynamics of free-living and particle-associated Betaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria in relation to phytoplankton and zooplankton communities

The diversity of attached and free-living Actinobacteria and Betaproteobacteria, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, was investigated in a mesotrophic lake during two periods of contrasting phytoplankton dominance. Comparison analyses showed a phylogenetic difference between attached and free-living communities for the two bacterial groups. For Betaproteobacteria, the betaI clade was detected at all sampling dates in free-living and attached bacterial communities and was the dominant clade contributing to 57.8% of the total retrieved operational taxonomic units (OTUs). For Actinobacteria, the acIV cluster was found to be dominant, followed by acI contributing to 45% and 25% of the total retrieved OTUs, respectively. This study allows the determination of eight new putative clades among the Betaproteobacteria termed lbI-lbVIII and a new putative clade named acLBI belonging to the Actinobacteria. The seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities have been reflected as changes in distinct bacterial phylotypes for both attached and free-living communities. For attached communities, relationships were observed between Actinobacteria and Chrysophyceae, and between Betaproteobacteria and Dinophyceae and Chlorophyceae biomass. On the other hand, within free-living communities, few actinobacterial clades were found to be dependent on either nutrients or phytoplankton communities, whereas Betaproteobacteria were mainly associated with biological parameters (i.e. phytoplankton and copepod communities).     

Drivers of long‐term invertebrate community stability in changing Swedish lakes

Research on ecosystem stability has had a strong focus on local systems. However, environmental change often occurs slowly at broad spatial scales, which requires regional‐level assessments of long‐term stability. In this study, we assess the stability of macroinvertebrate communities across 105 lakes in the Swedish “lakescape.” Using a hierarchical mixed‐model approach, we first evaluate the environmental pressures affecting invertebrate communities in two ecoregions (north, south) using a 23 year time series (1995–2017) and then examine how a set of environmental and physical variables affect the stability of these communities. Results show that lake latitude, size, total phosphorus and alkalinity affect community composition in northern and southern lakes. We find that lake stability is affected by species richness and lake size in both ecoregions and alkalinity and total phosphorus in northern lakes. There is large heterogeneity in the patterns of community stability of individual lakes, but relationships between that stability and environmental drivers begin to emerge when the lakescape, composed of many discrete lakes, is the focal unit of study. The results of this study highlight that broad‐scale comparisons in combination with long time series are essential to understand the effects of environmental change on the stability of lake communities in space and time.     

Within- and between-Lake Variability in the Composition of Bacterioplankton Communities: Investigations Using Multiple Spatial Scales

This study examined the similarity of epilimnetic bacterial community composition (BCC) across several within- and among-lake spatial scales, and the environmental factors giving rise to similar bacterial communities in different lakes were also explored. Samples were collected from 13 northern and southern Wisconsin lakes representing gradients in lake size, productivity, dissolved organic carbon and humic acid contents, and pH. Hypotheses regarding patchy distribution of bacterial communities in lakes were tested by comparing samples collected from nearby (tens of meters) and distant (hundreds of meters) sampling sites in the same lake. BCC was characterized by using a molecular fingerprinting technique, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Overall, samples collected at the 10-m, 100-m, and between-lake scales differed by 13, 17, and 75%, respectively. Variation at these last two scales was significant. The development of within-lake variation in BCC appeared to depend on the isolation of water by lake shoreline features such as bays or narrow constrictions. ARISA profiles from northern lakes had fewer peaks and were less similar to each other than were those of the southern lakes, suggesting that regional features do not necessarily lead to the development of similar bacterial communities. Lakes at similar positions on productivity and dissolved organic carbon concentration gradients had similar bacterial communities, and bacterial diversity was positively correlated with lake productivity and water temperature. Factorial studies taking into account these gradients, as well as regional spatial scales, should provide much insight into the nature of aquatic bacterial biogeography.     

Within- and between-lake variability in the composition of bacterioplankton communities: investigations using multiple spatial scales

This study examined the similarity of epilimnetic bacterial community composition (BCC) across several within- and among-lake spatial scales, and the environmental factors giving rise to similar bacterial communities in different lakes were also explored. Samples were collected from 13 northern and southern Wisconsin lakes representing gradients in lake size, productivity, dissolved organic carbon and humic acid contents, and pH. Hypotheses regarding patchy distribution of bacterial communities in lakes were tested by comparing samples collected from nearby (tens of meters) and distant (hundreds of meters) sampling sites in the same lake. BCC was characterized by using a molecular fingerprinting technique, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Overall, samples collected at the 10-m, 100-m, and between-lake scales differed by 13, 17, and 75%, respectively. Variation at these last two scales was significant. The development of within-lake variation in BCC appeared to depend on the isolation of water by lake shoreline features such as bays or narrow constrictions. ARISA profiles from northern lakes had fewer peaks and were less similar to each other than were those of the southern lakes, suggesting that regional features do not necessarily lead to the development of similar bacterial communities. Lakes at similar positions on productivity and dissolved organic carbon concentration gradients had similar bacterial communities, and bacterial diversity was positively correlated with lake productivity and water temperature. Factorial studies taking into account these gradients, as well as regional spatial scales, should provide much insight into the nature of aquatic bacterial biogeography.     

Bacterial diversity in the mountains of South-West China: Climate dominates over soil parameters

Certain patterns in soil bacterial diversity and community composition have become evident from metagenomics studies on a range of scales, from various parts of the world. For example, soil pH has generally been seen as dominating variation in bacterial diversity, above all other soil and climate parameters. It is important however to test the generality of these relationships by studying previously un-sampled areas. We compared soil bacterial diversity and community composition under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions in mountainous Yunnan Province, SW China. Soil samples were taken from a range of primary forest types and altitudes, reflecting the great variation of forest environments in this region. From each soil sample, DNA was extracted and pyrosequenced for bacterial 16S rRNA gene identification. In contrast to other recent studies from other parts of the world, pH was a weaker predictor of bacterial community composition and diversity than exchangeable Ca²⁺ concentration, and also the more poorly defined environmental parameter of elevation. Samples from within each forest type clustered strongly, showing the distinctive pattern of their microbial communities on a regional scale. It is clear that on a regional scale in a very heterogeneous environment, additional factors beyond pH can emerge as more important in determining bacterial diversity.     

Dissolved Organic Carbon as Major Environmental Factor Affecting Bacterioplankton Communities in Mountain Lakes of Eastern Japan

Relationships between environmental factors and bacterial communities were investigated in 41 freshwater lakes located in mountainous regions of eastern Japan. Bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) was determined by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the 16S rRNA gene and then evaluated on the basis of physicochemical and biological variables of the lakes. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that BCC of oligotrophic lakes was significantly influenced by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, but its effect was not apparent in the analysis covering all lakes including mesotrophic and eutrophic ones. The generalized linear model showed the negative association of DOC on the taxon richness of bacterioplankton communities. DOC was positively correlated with the catchment area per lake volume, suggesting that a large fraction of DOC supplied to the lake was derived from terrestrial sources. These results suggest that allochthonous DOC has a significant effect on bacterioplankton communities especially in oligotrophic lakes. The genus Polynucleobacter was detected most frequently. The occurrence of Polynucleobacter species was positively associated with DOC and negatively associated with total phosphorus (TP) levels. In addition, TP had a stronger effect than DOC, suggesting that oligotrophy is the most important factor on the occurrence of this genus.     

A phylogenetic perspective on species diversity, β‐diversity and biogeography for the microbial world

There is an increasing interest to combine phylogenetic data with distributional and ecological records to assess how natural communities arrange under an evolutionary perspective. In the microbial world, there is also a need to go beyond the problematic species definition to deeply explore ecological patterns using genetic data. We explored links between evolution/phylogeny and community ecology using bacterial 16S rRNA gene information from a high‐altitude lakes district data set. We described phylogenetic community composition, spatial distribution, and β‐diversity and biogeographical patterns applying evolutionary relatedness without relying on any particular operational taxonomic unit definition. High‐altitude lakes districts usually contain a large mosaic of highly diverse small water bodies and conform a fine biogeographical model of spatially close but environmentally heterogeneous ecosystems. We sampled 18 lakes in the Pyrenees with a selection criteria focused on capturing the maximum environmental variation within the smallest geographical area. The results showed highly diverse communities nonrandomly distributed with phylogenetic β‐diversity patterns mainly shaped by the environment and not by the spatial distance. Community similarity based on both bacterial taxonomic composition and phylogenetic β‐diversity shared similar patterns and was primarily structured by similar environmental drivers. We observed a positive relationship between lake area and phylogenetic diversity with a slope consistent with highly dispersive planktonic organisms. The phylogenetic approach incorporated patterns of common ancestry into bacterial community analysis and emerged as a very convenient analytical tool for direct inter‐ and intrabiome biodiversity comparisons and sorting out microbial habitats with potential application in conservation studies.