Diversity and community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi in a wooded meadow

Wooded meadows are seminatural plant communities that support high diversity of various taxa. Due to changes in land use, wooded meadows have severely declined during the last century. The dominant trees in wooded meadows acquire mineral nutrients via ectomycorrhizal fungi. Using anatomotyping and sequencing of root tips, interpolation and extrapolation methods, we studied the diversity and community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi in two soil horizons of both managed and forested parts of a wooded meadow in Estonia. Species of Thelephoraceae, Sebacinaceae and the genus Inocybe dominated the whole ectomycorrhizal fungal community of 172 observed species. Forested and managed parts of the wooded meadow harboured different communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi, whereas soil horizon had a negligible effect on the fungal community composition. Diverse soil conditions and host trees likely support the high richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the wooded meadow ecosystem. Direct sequencing integrated with interpolation and extrapolation methods are promising to identify the fungi at the species level and to compare species richness between communities of ectomycorrhizal fungi.     

Habitat-dependent population regulation and community structure

Summary Density-dependence provides a causal link between processes acting at different levels of ecological organization. The linkage between density-dependent habitat use, population regulation and community organization is examined on the basis of qualitative and quantitative differences between habitats. These differences are expressed as characteristic shapes on isodars which are lines of equal fitness, and are plotted in density space as lines at every point of which the fitness of individuals in one habitat is equal to that of individuals in another. Isodars can be constructed for single species or modified to include the effects of interacting species. Isodars are easily analyzed by linear regression to differentiate between alternative modes of population regulation and to suggest patterns of community structure. Different isodars are causally related to different kinds of community structure, and suggest the existence of four new forms of community organization; equal, differential, switched and mixed preferences. A preliminary isodar analysis on a common rodent species demonstrates that population regulation depends upon habitat, and that mixed preferences probably organize the rodent community. Habitat-dependent population regulation has farreaching implications to studies of temporal and spatial scale, and to all ecological processes that are density-dependent.     

Uptake of groundwater nitrogen by a near-shore coral reef community on Bermuda

Coral Reefs - Nutrient enrichment can slow growth, enhance bioerosion rates, and intensify algal competition for reef-building corals. In areas of high human population density and/or limited waste...     

The seasonal dynamics of the succession rate in a near-shore macrophytic community

This paper discusses a method for computing an index that reflects the rate of changes in the community species structure. This index is illustrated based on the example of the macrophyte community of Vityaz Bay in the Sea of Japan. The mean annual succession rate of this community was estimated as 0.030 day^?1.     

Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient

The diversity and phylogenetic community structure of many organisms is negatively affected by factors that covary with elevation. On the Pacific slope of the Cordillera Guanacaste within Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica we found a negative relationship between elevation and ant diversity on each of three volcanos. This pattern was evident when diversity was measured through molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTU) or by phylogenetic diversity (PD) based on DNA barcodes or a multi‐gene phylogeny. We observed an asymmetrical mid‐elevation peak at approximately 600–800 m and we found high species turnover between sites on the same mountain and among the three mountains. At the highest elevation cloud forest sites we found evidence of significant phylogenetic clustering, the expected result of environmental filtering. The narrow elevational range of each species, coupled with the high diversity at each sampling point, emphasizes that climate change will bring strong changes in the location and composition of biodiversity on these mountains. The structure and composition of the hyperdiverse communities present at any one elevation is extremely vulnerable to a changing climate.     

中央戈壁石下生物土壤结皮中细菌群落结构和多样性

【背景】戈壁石下生物土壤结皮(Biological soil crusts,BSCs)中的微生物在干旱、半干旱地区生态系统物质循环中起重要作用,其细菌群落结构和多样性因气候和地理环境的不同而存在较大差异。中央戈壁面积大,其石下BSCs中细菌群落结构和多样性却知之甚少。【目的】比较中央戈壁石下BSCs和周围裸土中细菌群落结构和多样性的异同,揭示环境因子对它们的影响以及细菌之间的相互作用关系。【方法】利用Illumina MiSeq对16S rRNA基因进行高通量测序,使用生物信息学分析方法分析细菌群落结构和多样性及其影响因素;基于CoNet软件绘制物种共现性网络图,利用Cytoscape 3.5.1软件将网络图可视化。【结果】石下BSCs的速效磷(Available phosphorus,AP)、速效氮(Available nitrogen,AN)和叶绿素a (Chlorophyll a,Chl a)的含量均明显高于周围裸土(最高高出471%),而pH则略低于周围裸土;石下BSCs中细菌的最优势菌门为Cyanobacteria(45.85%-53.77%),优势属(9.25%-18.42%)有Trichocoleus、Chroococcidiopsis和属于Cyanobacteria纲的1个未知属;临近裸土中细菌的最优势菌门为Actinobacteria (38.82%-44.69%),优势属(5%)有Arthrobacter、Rubrobacter和其它3个属于放线菌门或酸杆菌门的未知属;在土壤理化因子中,AP对石下细菌群落组成的影响最大;除Actinophytocola属和Cyanobacteria纲中的未知属外,其他微生物之间均存在较强的互作关系,其中以共存的互作关系为主(约占60%),点度中心性、接近中心性和中介中心性均较高的节点都属于Cyanobacteria门和α-Proteobacteria纲。【结论】中央戈壁石下BSCs中的细菌群落结构和多样性明显不同于临近裸土,Cyanobacteria门和α-Proteobacteria纲的细菌是该地区石下早期BSCs形成和发育最初及最重要的驱动力。     

大熊猫肠道放线菌的种群组成及多样性分析

【目的】探究不同年龄、不同性别大熊猫肠道放线菌的多样性及群落结构,为寻找潜在产生活性化合物的放线菌资源提供理论依据。【方法】采用PCR-DGGE技术对大熊猫肠道放线菌进行分析,对电泳结果进行UPGMA聚类分析、主成分分析、生物多样性等多重比较。【结果】变性梯度凝胶电泳(DGGE)图谱显示,不同大熊猫肠道中放线菌的多样性及群落结构存在明显差异。随着年龄的增长,雌性大熊猫肠道中放线菌的多样性指数(H')和丰富度(S)逐渐减少,而雄性大熊猫肠道内放线菌的多样性指数(H')和丰富度(S)逐渐增多。不同个体的大熊猫肠道放线菌的群落结构存在明显差异,但相同性别之间的相似性很高。DGGE条带回收测序结果表明,获得的28条序列归属于10个放线菌属,其中链霉菌属(Streptomyces)为优势菌属,占总数的46%;北里孢菌属(Kitasatospora)、红球菌属(Rhodococcus)、棒杆菌属(Corynebacterium)、迪茨氏菌属(Dietziaceae)、大理石雕菌属(Marmoricola)、布登堡菌属(Beutenbergia)、微杆菌属(Microbacterium)、链嗜酸菌属(Streptacidiphilus)和芽生球菌属(Blastococcus)等为非链霉菌属,占总数的54%。【结论】大熊猫肠道内蕴藏着丰富的放线菌资源,其肠道菌群的结构与组成受年龄和性别的影响。     

Emergent patterns of population genetic structure for a coral reef community

What shapes variation in genetic structure within a community of codistributed species is a central but difficult question for the field of population genetics. With a focus on the isolated coral reef ecosystem of the Hawaiian Archipelago, we assessed how life history traits influence population genetic structure for 35 reef animals. Despite the archipelago's stepping stone configuration, isolation by distance was the least common type of genetic structure, detected in four species. Regional structuring (i.e. division of sites into genetically and spatially distinct regions) was most common, detected in 20 species and nearly in all endemics and habitat specialists. Seven species displayed chaotic (spatially unordered) structuring, and all were nonendemic generalist species. Chaotic structure also associated with relatively high global F_ST. Pelagic larval duration (PLD) was not a strong predictor of variation in population structure (R² = 0.22), but accounting for higher F_ST values of chaotic and invertebrate species, compared to regionally structured and fish species, doubled the power of PLD to explain variation in global F_ST (adjusted R² = 0.50). Multivariate correlation of eight species traits to six genetic traits highlighted dispersal ability, taxonomy (i.e. fish vs. invertebrate) and habitat specialization as strongest influences on genetics, but otherwise left much variation in genetic traits unexplained. Considering that the study design controlled for many sampling and geographical factors, the extreme interspecific variation in spatial genetic patterns observed for Hawaìi marine species may be generated by demographic variability due to species‐specific abundance and migration patterns and/or seascape and historical factors.     

The spatial population structure of a harpacticoid copepod community in spring

The spatial population patterns of an assemblage of meiobenthic harpacticoid copepod species were analysed for two sets of samples resulting from a systematic survey of an intertidal, estuarine, sandy beach in spring. The fauna was characterised by mesopsammic species, the 6 most abundant of which showed a great degree of interassociation, such that they could not be considered to distribute themselves independently. Populations of each of the 6 species were overdispersed, such that a negative binomial distribution adequately fitted all population samples. Spatial segregation of closely related species was indicated during the late spring sample, so leading to a patchy population distribution. It is proposed that during early spring, during periods of extreme disturbance in the seasonal r-selecting environment, the species populations do not interact, but that during periods of less extreme perturbation an interactive community evolves.     

蜜蜂成虫工蜂肠道可培养细菌群落结构分析

【目的】研究2种蜜蜂(健康意大利蜜蜂和健康中华蜜蜂)成虫工蜂肠道可培养细菌的群落结构组成。【方法】利用16S r RNA基因的聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)分析技术,结合菌落形态观察和生理生化特征鉴定细菌种类。【结果】从2种蜜蜂成虫工蜂肠道200株可培养细菌得到18种不同细菌遗传型,分属于肠杆菌科(Enterobacteriaceae)、弧菌科(Vibrionaceae)和肠球菌科(Enterococcaceae)3个科。其中肠杆菌科是肠道可培养细菌最优势的细菌种类。同样以序列相似性大于97%的菌株归为相同细菌种类为标准,找到了2种蜜蜂可培养细菌的共有菌种,结合菌落形态观察和生理生化特征鉴定,确定肠道可培养细菌为肠杆菌属8株,克雷伯氏菌属1株,肠球菌属2株,以及气单胞菌属1株。【结论】通过研究健康意大利蜜蜂和中华蜜蜂成虫工蜂肠道可培养细菌群落结构组成,可为开展蜜蜂的微生态研究提供基础性资料。     

五大连池火山土壤细菌多样性及其群落结构

火山熔岩生境孕育了独特的土壤微生物群落。为了解火山生态系统土壤细菌群落多样性和群落结构及其关键影响因子,选择五大连池新、老期火山为研究样点,非火山为对照,基于高通量测序方法,分析不同采样点土壤细菌群落结构和多样性,结合土壤理化指标,进一步分析影响火山生态系统土壤细菌群落多样性的环境因子。结果表明：细菌操作分类单元（OTUs）、Ace指数、Chao1指数和Simpson指数变化趋势一致,表现为非火山 > 新期火山 > 老期火山。三个样点土壤的共有OUTs数量为713个,各自特有的OTUs数量不尽相同。三个样点土壤中检测到共有细菌16个类群,其中变形菌门、酸杆菌门、放线菌门和绿弯菌门为优势菌群,老期火山土壤中酸杆菌门、疣微菌门、Rokubacteria相对丰度最大,而Patescibacteria相对丰度最小。三个样点的土壤细菌群落具有明显的空间关系,相似性差异较大,但不符合随地理距离的增加而降低的模型。土壤理化性质测定结果标明：老期火山土壤pH、有机质、全氮、全磷、铵态氮和硝态氮显著高于新期火山和非火山,新期火山土壤含水量和速效磷显著低于老期火山和非火山。喷发时间和火成岩基质等特性会导致不同火山土壤理化性质的差异,进而影响土壤细菌多样性和群落结构。Pearson相关性分析表明：土壤pH显著影响细菌的多样性指数。冗余分析（RDA）结果表明：土壤氮含量、pH和有机质是影响火山森林生态系统土壤细菌群落结构的主要因子。     

Diversity and disease: community structure drives parasite transmission and host fitness

Changes in host diversity and community structure have been linked to disease, but the mechanisms underlying such relationships and their applicability to non-vector-borne disease systems remain conjectural. Here we experimentally investigated how changes in host community structure affected the transmission and pathology of the multi-host parasite Ribeiroia ondatrae, which is a widespread cause of amphibian limb deformities. We exposed larval amphibians to parasites in monospecific or heterospecific communities, and varied host number to differentiate between density- and diversity-mediated effects on transmission. In monospecific communities, exposure to Ribeiroia significantly increased mortality (15%), malformations (40%) and time-to-metamorphosis in toads. However, the presence of tree frogs significantly reduced infection in toads, leading to fewer malformations and higher survival than observed in monospecific communities, providing evidence of parasite-mediated facilitation. Our results suggest that interspecific variation in parasite resistance can inhibit parasite transmission in multi-species communities, reducing infection and pathology in sensitive hosts.     

Diversity and population structure of northern switchgrass as revealed through exome capture sequencing

Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) is a polyploid, perennial grass species that is native to North America, and is being developed as a future biofuel feedstock crop. Switchgrass is present primarily in two ecotypes: a northern upland ecotype, composed of tetraploid and octoploid accessions, and a southern lowland ecotype, composed of primarily tetraploid accessions. We employed high‐coverage exome capture sequencing (~2.4 Tb) to genotype 537 individuals from 45 upland and 21 lowland populations. From these data, we identified ~27 million single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 1 590 653 high‐confidence SNPs were used in downstream analyses of diversity within and between the populations. From the 66 populations, we identified five primary population groups within the upland and lowland ecotypes, a result that was further supported through genetic distance analysis. We identified conserved, ecotype‐restricted, non‐synonymous SNPs that are predicted to affect the protein function of CONSTANS (CO) and EARLY HEADING DATE 1 (EHD1), key genes involved in flowering, which may contribute to the phenotypic differences between the two ecotypes. We also identified, relative to the near‐reference Kanlow population, 17 228 genes present in more copies than in the reference genome (up‐CNVs), 112 630 genes present in fewer copies than in the reference genome (down‐CNVs) and 14 430 presence/absence variants (PAVs), affecting a total of 9979 genes, including two upland‐specific CNV clusters. In total, 45 719 genes were affected by an SNP, CNV, or PAV across the panel, providing a firm foundation to identify functional variation associated with phenotypic traits of interest for biofuel feedstock production.     

野生扁穗牛鞭草无性系构件组成及生物量结构变异性

对60份野生扁穗牛鞭草的无性系种群构件数量、质量性状及生物量结构进行比较分析,结果说明：不同种群构件性状与数量呈现出变异性,叶长、叶宽、单蘖叶片数、无性系叶片数的变异系数分别为24．95％、20．00％、14．12％、43．56％;茎直径、节直径、节间长、单蘖节数、直立茎长度、匍匐茎长度、直立茎数、匍匐茎数的变异系数分别为21．11％、22．42％、20．10％、12．14％、46．73％、20．14％、72．76％、37．97％;根系深度、根系分布范围、分蘖面积的变异系数分别为19．81％、37．65％、33．68％;花序长、花序宽、花序厚、单蘖花序数、直立茎生殖蘖比例、匍匐茎生殖蘖比例的变异系数分别为13．33％、13．42％、14．80％、36.10％、118．96％、81．44％。不同种群构件生物量结构变异性丰富,叶生物量、茎生物量、根生物量、花序生物量变异系数分别为78．51％、91．66％、45．64％、192．24％;构件的数量差异高于性状差异,无性系种群差异主要体现在分蘖能力与空间拓展能力上。野生资源生态型变异性和对环境的适应性,为优异性状选择、品种选育、资源开发利用提供了丰富的物质基础。     

城市供水系统对水中真菌数量和群落结构的影响

【背景】对于饮用水中的微生物污染,绝大多数研究集中在细菌、病毒及原虫和蠕虫。由于真菌中包含多种潜在致病菌,应当引起人们的关注。【目的】研究城市供水系统中真菌数量、群落组成变化及可能存在的潜在致病真菌。【方法】利用MEA和RB两种培养基,对供水系统中的原水和两个水厂净水工艺过程及不同供水模式用户龙头水样进行培养法计数统计。提取上述样本总DNA,并应用Illumina MiSeq平台进行ITS1区高通量测序。【结果】从15个样本中共获得有效序列579 470条,1 260个OTU,包含8个门26个纲67个目228个属的真菌。门水平上子囊菌门真菌为供水系统优势真菌,属水平上不同样本存在差异,但曲霉属和枝顶孢属真菌在所有样本中均存在;培养法和高通量测序结果共同显示,活性炭过滤出水真菌数量和物种丰富度均较前一工艺有所上升;氯化消毒对真菌数量、物种多样性及物种组成影响显著;经过供水管网输配和二次供水设施后,用户龙头水样本真菌数量和物种丰富度明显高于出厂水。【结论】供水系统中的优势真菌为子囊菌门(Ascomycota),该门真菌可穿透净水工艺过程的多级屏障;水厂净水工艺能有效去除水中可培养真菌,生物活性炭过滤工艺能够影响真菌数目及物种多样性;供水管网及二次供水设施是末端饮用水中真菌污染的重要来源;供水系统中存在潜在致病真菌。     

内蒙古呼伦贝尔草原土壤氨氧化细菌多样性及群落结构

采用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳技术及扩增产物序列分析方法,研究了呼伦贝尔5种草地类型(线叶菊草原、贝加尔针茅草原、羊草草原、大针茅草原、克氏针茅草原)土壤氨氧化细菌多样性及群落结构特征.研究表明:不同草地类型间土壤氨氧化细菌群落结构组成差异显著,相似性均低于50%.线叶菊草原土壤氨氧化细菌群落多样性最高,其次是贝加尔针茅草原、羊草草原和克氏针茅草原,大针茅草原最低.5种草地类型土壤氨氧化细菌均以Nitrosospira cluster 3为优势种群,此外还发现有Nitrosospira cluster 1、2、4和Nitrosomonas.线叶菊草原土壤氨氧化细菌群落组成较其他草地类型复杂,而羊草草原和大针茅草原群落组成较简单.经相关性分析,土壤含水量、土壤全氮、有机碳、土壤C/N与土壤氨氧化细菌群落多样性显著正相关(P<0.05).     

Genetic population structure of marine viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV)

The nucleotide sequences of a specific region of the nucleoprotein gene were compared in order to investigate the genetic population structure of marine viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). Analysis of the sequence from 128 isolates of diverse geographic and host origin renders this the most comprehensive molecular epidemiological study of marine VHSV conducted to date. Phylogenetic analysis of nucleoprotein gene sequences confirmed the existence of the 4 major genotypes previously identified based on N- and subsequent G-gene based analyses. The range of Genotype I included subgroups of isolates associated with rainbow trout aquaculture (Genotype Ia) and those from the Baltic marine environment (Genotype Ib) to emphasise the relatively close genetic relationship between these isolates. The existence of an additional genotype circulating within the Baltic Sea (Genotype II) was also confirmed. Genotype III included marine isolates from around the British Isles in addition to those associated with turbot mariculture, highlighting a continued risk to the development of this industry. Genotype IV consisted of isolates from the marine environment in North America. Taken together, these findings suggest a marine origin of VHSV in rainbow trout aquaculture. The implications of these findings with respect to the future control of VHSV are discussed. The capacity for molecular phylogenetic analysis to resolve complex epidemiological problems is also demonstrated and its likely future importance to disease management issues highlighted.     

Diversity and dynamics of a north atlantic coastal Vibrio community

Vibrios are ubiquitous marine bacteria that have long served as models for heterotrophic processes and have received renewed attention because of the discovery of increasing numbers of facultatively pathogenic strains. Because the occurrence of specific vibrios has frequently been linked to the temperature, salinity, and nutrient status of water, we hypothesized that seasonal changes in coastal water bodies lead to distinct vibrio communities and sought to characterize their level of differentiation. A novel technique was used to quantify shifts in 16S rRNA gene abundance in samples from Barnegat Bay, N.J., collected over a 15-month period. Quantitative PCR (QPCR) with primers specific for the genus Vibrio was combined with separation and quantification of amplicons by constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE). Vibrio populations identified by QPCR-CDCE varied between summer and winter samples, suggesting distinct warm-water and year-round populations. Identification of the CDCE populations by cloning and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes from two summer and two winter samples confirmed this distinction. It further showed that CDCE populations corresponded in most cases to approximately 98% rRNA similarity groups and suggested that the abundance of these follows temperature trends. Phylogenetic comparison yielded closely related cultured and often pathogenic representatives for most sequences, and the temperature ranges of these isolates confirmed the trends seen in the environmental samples. Overall, this suggests that temperature is a good predictor of the occurrence of closely related vibrios but that considerable microdiversity of unknown significance coexists within this trend.