Diversity of archaea and niche preferences among putative ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaeria dominating across European arable soils

Archaeal communities in arable soils are dominated by Nitrososphaeria, a class within Thaumarchaeota comprising all known ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA). AOA are key players in the nitrogen cycle and defining their niche specialization can help predicting effects of environmental change on these communities. However, hierarchical effects of environmental filters on AOA and the delineation of niche preferences of nitrososphaerial lineages remain poorly understood. We used phylogenetic information at fine scale and machine learning approaches to identify climatic, edaphic and geomorphological drivers of Nitrososphaeria and other archaea along a 3000 km European gradient. Only limited insights into the ecology of the low-abundant archaeal classes could be inferred, but our analyses underlined the multifactorial nature of niche differentiation within Nitrososphaeria. Mean annual temperature, C:N ratio and pH were the best predictors of their diversity, evenness and distribution. Thresholds in the predictions could be defined for C:N ratio and cation exchange capacity. Furthermore, multiple, independent and recent specializations to soil pH were detected in the Nitrososphaeria phylogeny. The coexistence of widespread ecophysiological differences between closely related soil Nitrososphaeria highlights that their ecology is best studied at fine phylogenetic scale.     

Archaeal and bacterial diversity in hot springs on the Tibetan Plateau, China

The diversity of archaea and bacteria was investigated in ten hot springs (elevation >4600 m above sea level) in Central and Central-Eastern Tibet using 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis. The temperature and pH of these hot springs were 26-81°C and close to neutral, respectively. A total of 959 (415 and 544 for bacteria and archaea, respectively) clone sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed that bacteria were more diverse than archaea and that these clone sequences were classified into 82 bacterial and 41 archaeal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), respectively. The retrieved bacterial clones were mainly affiliated with four known groups (i.e., Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi), which were similar to those in other neutral-pH hot springs at low elevations. In contrast, most of the archaeal clones from the Tibetan hot springs were affiliated with Thaumarchaeota, a newly proposed archaeal phylum. The dominance of Thaumarchaeota in the archaeal community of the Tibetan hot springs appears to be unique, although the exact reasons are not yet known. Statistical analysis showed that diversity indices of both archaea and bacteria were not statistically correlated with temperature, which is consistent with previous studies.     

Different environmental factors drive tree species diversity along elevation gradients in three climatic zones in Yunnan,southern China

Elevational patterns of tree diversity are well studied worldwide. However, few studies have examined how seedlings respond to elevational gradients and whether their responses vary across climatic zones. In this study, we established three elevational transects in tropical, subtropical and subalpine mountain forests in Yunnan Province, southern China, to examine the responses of tree species and their seedlings to elevational gradients. Within each transect, we calculated species diversity indices and composition of both adult trees and seedlings at different elevations. For both adult trees and seedlings, we found that species diversity decreased with increasing elevation in both tropical and subalpine transects. Species composition showed significant elevational separation within all three transects. Many species had specific elevational preferences, but abundant tree species that occurred at specific elevations tended to have very limited recruitment in the understory. Our results highlight that the major factors that determine elevational distributions of tree species vary across climatic zones. Specifically, we found that the contribution of air temperature to tree species composition increased from tropical to subalpine transects, whereas the contribution of soil moisture decreased across these transects.     

一个新的古菌类群———奇古菌门(Thaumarchaeota)

基于16S rRNA基因的系统发育关系,古菌域(Archaea)被分为两个主要类群:广古菌门(Euryarchaeota)和泉古菌门(Crenarchaeota)。近20年来,微生物分子生态学技术的快速发展和应用显示,在中温环境中广泛存在着大量的未培养古菌,而且它们可能在自然界重要元素(N、C)的生物地球化学循环中发挥着重要作用。最初,这些未培养古菌因在16S rRNA基因系统发育上与泉古菌关系较密切而被称作中温泉古菌(non-thermophilic Crenarchaeota)。而近年来,对更多新发现的中温古菌核糖体RNA基因序列和其它分子标记物进行的分析均不支持中温泉古菌由嗜热泉古菌进化而来的假设,而揭示其可能代表古菌域中一个独立的系统发育分支。基因组学、生理生态特征等分析也显示中温泉古菌与泉古菌具有明显不同的特征。因而专家建议将这些古菌(中温泉古菌)划分为一个新的门,成为古菌域的第三个主要类群—Thaumarchaeota(意译为奇古菌门)。这一新古菌门提出后得到其他研究证据的支持和认可。本文对目前已知的奇古菌门的分类地位演化、基因组学、多样性和生理代谢特征等作一简要综述。     

荒漠孑遗植物四合木对土壤古菌群落的影响

土壤是植物定居的场所,也是植物-微生物互作的重要界面。古菌是土壤微生物重要组份,在碳、氮、硫、铁等元素的生物地球化学循环和植物的生长发育、适应生境中发挥重要作用。植物定居对土壤古菌群落的影响研究鲜有开展,孑遗植物在研究植物-微生物-环境互作中具有独特的优势。采用扩增子高通量测序技术,研究以荒漠孑遗植物四合木为建群种或优势种的四合木-红砂-珍珠-针茅群落、四合木-针茅群落和四合木群落等三种荒漠植物群落类型中,四合木根区土壤和光板地土体土壤古菌群落特征,揭示四合木定居对土壤古菌物种数量、多样性、群落组成及功能的影响。结果表明,荒漠孑遗植物四合木定居不仅增加了根区土壤古菌的物种数量,提高了根区土壤古菌群落多样性,而且改变了土壤古菌群落组成,减少了奇古菌门Nitrososphaeraceae科未分类的属氨氧化古菌（unclassified_f_Nitrososphaeraceae）和暂定Nitrososphaera属氨氧化古菌（Candidatus Nitrososphaera）相对丰度,增加了Nitrososphaeraceae科暂定Nitrocosmicus属氨氧化古菌（Candidatus Nitrocosmicus）和广古菌门海洋古菌类群Ⅱ中未分类的属（norank_o_Marine_Group_II）相对丰度,广古菌门热原体纲未分类的属（unclassified_c__Thermoplasmata）相对丰度变化显著。植物群落演替对四合木根区土壤和光板地土体土壤古菌群落均无显著影响。Nitrososphaeraceae科氨氧化古菌是三种不同荒漠植物群落类型中土壤古菌的核心微生物组。四合木定居也显著改变土壤古菌群落的功能,减弱了高丰度功能,增强了低丰度功能,对有氧呼吸、核苷酸合成、氨基酸合成等途径影响显著。荒漠孑遗植物四合木定居改变了土壤古菌群落物种数量、多样性、组成、功能等特征。     

Phylogenetic congruence and ecological coherence in terrestrial Thaumarchaeota

Thaumarchaeota form a ubiquitously distributed archaeal phylum, comprising both the ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and other archaeal groups in which ammonia oxidation has not been demonstrated (including Group 1.1c and Group 1.3). The ecology of AOA in terrestrial environments has been extensively studied using either a functional gene, encoding ammonia monooxygenase subunit A (amoA) or 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, which show phylogenetic coherence with respect to soil pH. To test phylogenetic congruence between these two markers and to determine ecological coherence in all Thaumarchaeota, we performed high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and amoA genes in 46 UK soils presenting 29 available contextual soil characteristics. Adaptation to pH and organic matter content reflected strong ecological coherence at various levels of taxonomic resolution for Thaumarchaeota (AOA and non-AOA), whereas nitrogen, total mineralisable nitrogen and zinc concentration were also important factors associated with AOA thaumarchaeotal community distribution. Other significant associations with environmental factors were also detected for amoA and 16S rRNA genes, reflecting different diversity characteristics between these two markers. Nonetheless, there was significant statistical congruence between the markers at fine phylogenetic resolution, supporting the hypothesis of low horizontal gene transfer between Thaumarchaeota. Group 1.1c Thaumarchaeota were also widely distributed, with two clusters predominating, particularly in environments with higher moisture content and organic matter, whereas a similar ecological pattern was observed for Group 1.3 Thaumarchaeota. The ecological and phylogenetic congruence identified is fundamental to understand better the life strategies, evolutionary history and ecosystem function of the Thaumarchaeota.     

Altitudinal biodiversity patterns of seed plants along Gongga Mountain in the southeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

The mechanisms underlying elevation patterns in species and phylogenetic diversity remain a central issue in ecology and are vital for effective biodiversity conservation in the mountains. Gongga Mountain, located in the southeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, represents one of the longest elevational gradients (ca. 6,500 m, from ca. 1,000 to 7,556 m) in the world for studying species diversity patterns. However, the elevational gradient and conservation of plant species diversity and phylogenetic diversity in this mountain remain poorly studied. Here, we compiled the elevational distributions of 2,667 native seed plant species occurring in Gongga Mountain, and estimated the species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, species density, and phylogenetic relatedness across ten elevation belts and five vegetation zones. The results indicated that species diversity and phylogenetic diversity of all seed plants showed a hump‐shaped pattern, peaking at 1,800–2,200 m. Species diversity was significantly correlated with phylogenetic diversity and species density. The floras in temperate coniferous broad‐leaved mixed forests, subalpine coniferous forests, and alpine shrublands and meadows were significantly phylogenetically clustered, whereas the floras in evergreen broad‐leaved forests had phylogenetically random structure. Both climate and human pressure had strong correlation with species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, and phylogenetic structure of seed plants. Our results suggest that the evergreen broad‐leaved forests and coniferous broad‐leaved mixed forests at low to mid elevations deserve more conservation efforts. This study improves our understanding on the elevational gradients of species and phylogenetic diversity and their determinants and provides support for improvement of seed plant conservation in Gongga Mountain.     

Distribution and diversity of archaeal communities in selected Chinese soils

To understand the distribution and diversity of archaea in Chinese soils, the archaeal communities in a series of topsoils and soil profiles were investigated using quantitative PCR, T-RFLP combining sequencing methods. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene copy numbers, ranging from 4.96?×?10(6) to 1.30?×?10(8) copies?g(-1) dry soil, were positively correlated with soil pH, organic carbon and total nitrogen in the topsoils. In the soil profiles, archaeal abundance was positively correlated with soil pH but negatively with depth profile. The relative abundance of archaea in the prokaryotes (sum of bacteria and archaea) ranged from 0.20% to 9.26% and tended to increase along the depth profile. T-RFLP and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the structure of archaeal communities in cinnamon soils, brown soils, and fluvo-aquic soils was similar and dominated by Crenarchaeota group 1.1b and 1.1a. These were different from those in red soils, which were dominated by Crenarchaeota group 1.3 and 1.1c. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the archaeal community was primarily influenced by soil pH.     

浑善达克沙地夏冬季浅色型生物土壤结皮中古菌的系统发育多样性

【目的】生物土壤结皮(Biological soil crusts,BSCs)对于遏制土壤荒漠化、恢复荒漠地区生态环境起着重要作用。BSCs形成和发展的关键角色是微生物。但关于BSCs中微生物组成的认识还不够全面和系统,特别是对其中的古菌鲜有研究报道。【方法】通过构建和分析古菌16S rRNA基因克隆文库,揭示浑善达克沙地BSCs中古菌多样性和系统发育类型组成,并比较它们夏季和冬季的变化。【结果】BSCs样品颜色为褐色,厚度较薄,所含氮和磷营养养分不高;8月份和11月份的BSCs古菌16S rRNA基因文库覆盖度均达95%以上,代表性强;两个文库共得到可用的142条古菌16S rRNA基因序列,以0.03为Cutoff值、这些序列分入10个OTUs中,两个季节的最优势种群相同;8月份和11月份的古菌均属于奇古菌门,但群落结构存在很大的不同,即各自所独有的种群分别有1个和4个;BSCs中古菌多样性均不高,但11月份的明显高于8月份的。【结论】温带沙地浅色型BSCs中古菌的主要为奇古菌、多样性低,其群落结构随季节变换而有较大变化。本研究为系统认识BSCs古菌的多样性及其生态作用提供了基础。     

Archaeal abundance in relation to root and fungal exudation rates

Archaea are ubiquitous in forest soils, but little is known about the factors regulating their abundance and distribution. Low molecular weight organic compounds represent an important energy source for archaea in marine environments, and it is reasonable to suspect that archaeal abundance is dependent on such compounds in soils as well, represented by, for example, plant and fungal exudates. To test this hypothesis, we designed a microcosm experiment in which we grew ponderosa pine, sitka spruce, and western hemlock in forest soil. Root and mycorrhizal exudation rates were estimated in a 13C pulse-chase experiment, and the number of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes was determined by qPCR. Archaeal abundance differed among plant species, and the number of archaeal 16S rRNA genes was generally lower in soil receiving high concentration of exudates. The mycorrhizal fungi of ponderosa pine seemed to favor archaea, while no such effect was found for mycorrhized sitka spruce or western hemlock. The low abundance of archaea in the proximity of roots and mycorrhiza may be a result of slow growth rates and poor competitive ability of archaea vs. bacteria and does not necessarily reflect a lack of heterotrophic abilities of the archaeal community.     

Non-negligible roles of archaea in coastal carbon biogeochemical cycling

Coastal zones are among the world’s most productive ecosystems. They store vast amounts of organic carbon, as ‘blue carbon’ reservoirs, and impact global climate change. Archaeal communities are integral components of coastal microbiomes but their ecological roles are often overlooked. However, archaeal diversity, metabolism, evolution, and interactions, revealed by recent studies using rapidly developing cutting-edge technologies, place archaea as important players in coastal carbon biogeochemical cycling. We here summarize the latest advances in the understanding of archaeal carbon cycling processes in coastal ecosystems, specifically, archaeal involvement in CO₂ fixation, organic biopolymer transformation, and methane metabolism. We also showcase the potential to use of archaeal communities to increase carbon sequestration and reduce methane production, with implications for mitigating climate change.     

贺兰山不同海拔典型植被带土壤微生物多样性

土壤微生物多样性在海拔梯度的分布格局研究近年来受到和植物动物一样的重视程度,但是干旱风沙区微生物多样性在海拔梯度上的多样性分布规律尚未揭示。本研究以处于干旱风沙区的贺兰山不同海拔的六个典型植被带（荒漠草原带、山地旱生灌丛带、温性针叶林带、针阔混交林带、寒温性针叶林带和亚高山草甸带）土壤为研究对象,利用Biolog微平板法和磷脂脂肪酸甲酯法(FAMEs)系统研究微生物多样性群落特征以及在不同植被带分布规律。结果表明：土壤微生物功能多样性随海拔增加发生变化,且微生物群落结构存在显著差异。Biolog分析显示土壤微生物群落代谢活性依次是：亚高山草甸>寒温性针叶林>针阔混交林>温性针叶林>山地旱生灌丛>荒漠草原,随海拔的升高土壤微生物群落物种丰富度指数（H）和均匀度指数（E）总体上均表现出增大的趋势,差异显著（P＜0.05）;FAMEs分析表明不同海拔的微生物区系发生了一定程度的变化,寒温性针叶林土壤微生物磷酸脂肪酸生物标记的数量和种类均最高,且细菌、真菌特征脂肪酸相对含量也最高;土壤微生物群落结构多样性次序是：寒温性针叶林带>针阔混交林带>温性针叶林带>亚高山草甸>山地旱生灌丛>荒漠草原。本研究结果表明贺兰山海拔梯度的微生物多样性分布规律不同于已有的植物多样性“中部膨胀”研究结果,这说明在高海拔地区有更多的适合该生境的微生物存在,这对维持干旱风沙区的生态系统功能稳定性具有重要意义。     

Saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibit contrasting richness patterns along elevational gradients in cool-temperate montane forests

Increasing evidence suggests that elevational gradients of soil fungal richness are highly variable, but few studies have examined how diversity components of each guild contribute to overall fungal diversity. Here, we aimed to disentangle the relationships between total, saprotrophic, and ectomycorrhizal fungal richness, and environmental factors across elevational gradients in cool-temperate montane forests. We observed that total and saprotrophic richness decreased but ectomycorrhizal richness increased with increase in elevation. Elevational range size and nestedness analyses illustrated that saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal source communities were located at lower and higher elevations, respectively. The observed total and saprotrophic richness were directly influenced by soil properties and indirectly influenced by climate and plant communities. Ectomycorrhizal fungal richness was affected by climate and the dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees. We highlight that two directional source–sink dynamics lead to opposite elevational patterns between saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungal richness, shaping the variation in elevational richness gradients.     

中国南海北部陆坡沉积物古菌多样性及丰度分析

【目的】海洋沉积物中的古菌在全球生物地球化学循环中充当重要的角色,深入了解沉积物中古菌群落的结构及功能特征是探究海洋沉积物中古菌参与生物地球化学循环和生态学功能的基础。【方法】采用高通量测序技术,分别对南海北部陆坡不同海域(东部,西部和神狐海域的7个站位)沉积物中古菌16SrRNA基因进行Illumina Mi Seq测序。【结果】中国南海北部陆坡沉积物中古菌的主要门类是Bathyarchaeota、Thermoplasmata、Woesearchaeota(DHVEG-6)、Thaumarchaeota(Marine Group I)、Lokiarchaeota和Marine Hydrothermal Vent Group(MHVG),还存在少量的AK8、Marine Benthic Group A和Terrestrial Hot Spring Crenarchaeota Group(THSCG)等。在潜在水合物区沉积物中还发现了甲烷代谢相关古菌(Anaerobic methanotrophic archaea,ANME)类群,主要为ANME-1、ANME-2ab和ANME-2c等。甲烷代谢古菌的分布特征也从甲烷代谢保守功能基因mcr A(Methyl coenzyme-Mreductase A)的扩增中得到了验证。利用定量PCR对南海沉积物中的细菌、古菌的16SrRNA基因和mcrA基因进行了定量,发现细菌16SrRNA基因拷贝数为10~5-10~7 copies/g(湿重),古菌16SrRNA基因拷贝数为10~5-10~6 copies/g(湿重),潜在水合物区mcrA基因拷贝数为10~3-10~5 copies/g(湿重)。【结论】揭示了中国南海北部陆坡沉积物中具有丰富的微生物资源,其中古菌种类多样且丰度较高,同时发现冷泉特征古菌群落,为深入认识和理解南海沉积物中微生物丰度和古菌多样性,以及解析古菌地球化学功能奠定基础。     

Contrasting patterns and drivers of soil bacterial and fungal diversity across a mountain gradient

Microbial elevational diversity patterns have been extensively studied, but their shaping mechanisms remain to be explored. Here, we examined soil bacterial and fungal diversity and community compositions across a 3.4 km elevational gradient (consists of five elevations) on Mt. Kilimanjaro located in East Africa. Bacteria and fungi had different diversity patterns across this extensive mountain gradient—bacterial diversity had a U shaped pattern while fungal diversity monotonically decreased. Random forest analysis revealed that pH (12.61% importance) was the most important factor affecting bacterial diversity, whereas mean annual temperature (9.84% importance) had the largest impact on fungal diversity, which was consistent with results obtained from mixed-effects model. Meanwhile, the diversity patterns and drivers of those diversity patterns differ among taxonomic groups (phyla/classes) within bacterial or fungal communities. Taken together, our study demonstrated that bacterial and fungal diversity and community composition responded differently to climate and edaphic properties along an extensive mountain gradient, and suggests that the elevational diversity patterns across microbial groups are determined by distinct environmental variables. These findings enhanced our understanding of the formation and maintenance of microbial diversity along elevation, as well as microbial responses to climate change in montane ecosystems.     

Archaeal Communities in a Tropical Estuarine Ecosystem: Guanabara Bay,Brazil

Guanabara Bay is an eutrophic estuarine system located in a humid tropical region surrounded by the second largest metropolitan area of Brazil. This study explores the contrasting environmental chemistry and microbiological parameters that influence the archaeaplankton diversity in a pollution gradient in Guanabara Bay ecosystem. The environments sampled ranged from completely anoxic waters in a polluted inner channel to the adjacent, relatively pristine, coastal Atlantic Ocean. Partial archaeal 16S rDNA sequences in water samples were retrieved by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), cloning, and sequencing. Sequences were subjected to phylogenetic and diversity analyses. Community structure of the free-living archaeal assemblages was different from that of the particle-attached archaea according to DGGE. Gene libraries revealed that phylotype identification was consistent with environmental setting. Archaeal phylotypes found in polluted anoxic waters and in more pristine waters were closely related to organisms that have previously been found in these environments. However, inner bay archaea were related to organisms found in oil, industrial wastes, and sewage, implying that water pollution controls archaea communities in this system. The detection of a substantial number of uncultured phylotypes suggests that Guanabara Bay harbors a pool of novel archaeaplankton taxa.     

Diversity of geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) along an Afrotropical elevational rainforest transect

Geometrid moths were investigated at 26 sites on 9 elevational levels along an elevational transect at Mt. Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), stretching from the fine‐grained mosaic of small agroforest plots with combined cultivation of trees, shrubs and crops at 1650 m through mountain rainforest to heathland at 3300 m. We sampled moths manually at light between 19 : 00 and 22 : 00 in the rainy seasons of March to May and October to January in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. Along the transect, the composition of moth communities changed from a domination by Sterrhinae and Ennominae to a dominance of Larentiinae with increasing elevation. Overall, alpha diversity was very low compared to other tropical mountain regions. Fisher's alpha showed a maximum of 30 in the agroforest mosaic at 1650 m and decreased to values around 12 in the mountain rainforest. Communities of geometrid moths within the forest belt were significantly dissimilar from communities outside the forest. The diversity patterns on Mt. Kilimanjaro can be related to the young age, island‐like position and history of the mountain. These factors have led to the formation of a homogeneous upper mountain rainforest habitat which in turn houses homogeneous moth communities with a low diversity compared to habitats at lower elevations. Here, a heterogeneous habitat mosaic allowing the intrusion of savannah species into this former forest habitat may account for an increased diversity. In the heath zone above the forest, climatic conditions are very harsh, permitting only few specialists to thrive in this ericaceous woodland. Edge effects were discernible at the forest–heathland boundary where some moth species from heathland invaded the closed forest. At the boundary between agroforest and a forest mosaic of exotic Acacia and Eucalyptus forest plantations and natural mountain forest, diversity values remained low as the dominant species Chiasmia fuscataria accounted for far higher proportions than other dominant species in any of the other habitats.     

Elevation‐dependent effects of forest fragmentation on plant–bird interaction networks in the tropical Andes

Tropical forests harbor diverse ecological communities of plants and animals that are organized in complex interaction networks. The diversity and structure of plant–animal interaction networks may change along elevational gradients and in response to human‐induced habitat fragmentation. While previous studies have analyzed the effects of elevation and forest fragmentation on species interaction networks in isolation, to our knowledge no study has investigated whether the effects of forest fragmentation on species interactions may differ along elevational gradients. In this study, we analyzed main and interaction effects of elevation and forest fragmentation on plant–frugivore interaction networks at plant and bird species level. Over a period spanning two years, we recorded plant–frugivore interactions at three elevations (1000, 2000 and 3000 m a.s.l.) and in two habitat types (continuous and fragmented forest) in tropical montane forests in southern Ecuador. We found a consistent effect of elevation on the structure of plant–frugivore networks. We observed a decrease in the number of effective bird partners of plants and, thus, a decline in the redundancy of bird species with increasing elevation. Furthermore, bird specialization on specific plant partners increased towards high elevations. Fragmentation had a relatively weak effect on the interaction networks for both plant and bird species, but resulted in a significant increase in bird specialization in fragmented forests at high elevations. Our results indicate that forest fragmentation may have stronger effects on plant–frugivore interaction networks at high compared to low elevations because bird species richness declined more steeply towards high elevations than plant species richness. We conclude that conservation efforts should prioritize the maintenance of consumer diversity, for instance by maintaining stretches of continuous forest. This applies in particular to species‐poor communities, such as those at high elevations, as the ecological processes in these communities seem most sensitive towards forest fragmentation.     

Novel soil lineages of Archaea are present in semi-arid soils of eastern Australia

The diversity of Archaea was studied in vertisolic and loam soils of a semi-arid region in Australia. Sampling was undertaken at an agricultural site, two grassland environments, and a brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) woodland. Archaeal community structure was profiled using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) combined with rDNA sequencing of an example of each restriction fragment length polymorphism type. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that both crenarchaeotal and euryarchaeotal Archaea were present at oxic depths in the soil at all field sites. Along with previously described soil archaeal lineages, novel soil lineages and the deeply divergent Pendant-33 group of Euryarchaeota were also detected. A novel statistical method for comparing ARDRA derived data was demonstrated and implemented using the archaeal communities from the four field sites. Archaeal diversity, as measured by this method, was significantly higher in the agricultural site than at either of the grassland sites or the brigalow woodland.     

No effect of elevation and fragmentation on genetic diversity and structure in Polylepis australis trees from central Argentina

Phenological differences in flowering arising along elevational gradients may be caused by either local adaptation or phenotypic plasticity. Local adaptation can lead to reproductive isolation of populations at different elevational zones and thus produce elevational genetic structuring, while phenotypic plasticity does not produce elevational genetic structuring. In this study, we examined the effects of elevation and fragmentation on genetic diversity and structure of Polylepis australis populations, where individuals exhibit phenological differences in flowering along an elevational gradient. We assessed the polymorphism of amplified fragment length polymorphism markers in adults and saplings from one conserved and one fragmented forest covering elevations from 1600 to 2600 m asl. Over 98% of variation was found within populations, and we found very low and similar genetic differentiation along elevational gradients for adults and saplings in both continuous and fragmented forests. In addition, there was no significant relationship between genetic diversity and elevation. Results indicated that phenological differences along elevational gradients are more likely caused by phenotypic plasticity than local adaptation, and fragmentation does not appear to have affected genetic diversity and differentiation in the studied populations. Results therefore imply that if necessary, seeds for reforestation purposes may be collected from different elevations to the seeding or planting sites.