贫营养湖泊花神湖和紫霞湖浮游细菌群落结构分析

以南京市花神湖和紫霞湖两个贫营养型湖泊为研究对象,通过构建花神湖和紫霞湖16S rRNA基因克隆文库探讨了浮游细菌群落结构组成的变化。结果表明,花神湖和紫霞湖两湖泊水体中浮游细菌群落结构相似,主要隶属于放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)、α-变形菌门(Alphaproteobacteria)、β-变形菌门(Betaproteobacteria)、杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)、疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)和芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes),其中放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)、β-变形菌门(Betaproteobacteria)是优势细菌类群。两个湖泊水体中75%的细菌与GenBank中已有的未培养细菌同源性高于97%,同时在两个克隆文库中还发现了6个淡水细菌新类群。通过对低纬度区域贫营养型湖泊浮游细菌群落结构的分析,加深了我们对浮游细菌多样性的了解,表明湖泊浮游细菌多样性有待进一步认识。     

Genetic diversity of picoeukaryotes in eight lakes differing in trophic status

The genetic diversity of picoeukaryotes (0.2-5.0 μm) was investigated in 8 lakes differing in trophic status in Nanjing, China. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and cloning and sequencing of 18S rRNA genes were applied to analyze the picoeukaryotic communities. DGGE analysis showed that among the 8 lakes, the diversity of picoeukaryotes was greatest in the mesotrophic Lake Nan (24 bands) and least in the oligotrophic Lake Qian (12 bands). Cluster analysis of DGGE profiles revealed that the 8 lakes were grouped into 2 distinct clusters. Cluster 1 contained lakes Mochou, Zixia, Huashen, Nan, Pipa, and Qian, while cluster 2 contained lakes Xuanwu and Baijia. Clone libraries were constructed from the mesotrophic Lake Xuanwu and the oligotrophic Lake Zixia, and the 2 libraries were compared using the program LIBSHUFF. This analysis indicated that the picoeukaryotic community composition differed significantly between the 2 lakes (p = 0.001). A total of 25 operational taxonomic units were detected; 18 (62 clones) were related to known eukaryotic groups, while 7 (30 clones) were not affiliated with any known eukaryotic group. Alveolates and stramenopiles were the dominant groups in Lake Xuanwu, while alveolates and chlorophyta predominated in Lake Zixia. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that the differences in the picoeukaryotic community composition of the 8 lakes might be related to trophic status and top-down regulation by metazooplankton.     

Novel and Unexpected Prokaryotic Diversity in Water and Sediments of the Alkaline,Hypersaline Lakes of the Wadi An Natrun,Egypt

The phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial and archaeal community in the water and sediments of three large lakes of the Wadi An Natrun was investigated using 16S rRNA clone libraries. The bacterial community was diverse: 769 clones formed 345 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) defined at 99% 16S rRNA sequence identity. The bacterial community in both the water and sediments of the lakes was dominated by clones affiliated with the low G + C Gram-type-positive group, alpha-proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, (11-39, 11-30, and 10-37% of OTUs observed, respectively), patterns that have been observed in previously described alkaline, athalassohaline systems. However, a relatively high proportion of Firmicutess-related clones in the water of the lakes and alpha-proteobacteria in the sediments was observed. The bacterial community composition of the water and sediment of the same lake and of different lakes was significantly different (p < 0.05). Operational taxonomic units related to the gamma-proteobacteria were more abundant in the sediment of Lake Fazda, whereas the sediment of Lake UmRisha was dominated by members of the delta-proteobacteria. The proportion of gamma-proteobacterial and Bacteroidetes-affiliated OTUs were predominant in the water of Lake UmRisha and differed significantly from other lake waters (chi-squared analysis, p < or = 0.01). The more oxygenated and dilute nature of Lake Hamra was reflected in its microbial community composition, with the abundance of Bacillales sequences in the water, the absence of Halanaerobiales, Clostridiales, and Archaea in the water, and the presence of representatives of more phyla such as the Actinobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Verrucomicrobia. The archaeal community composition appeared less diverse: 589 clones resulted in 198 OTUs defined at 99% 16S rRNA sequence identity, and all sequences fell into the phylum Euryarchaeota. Phylogenetic analysis showed that many of the sequences were distantly related (83-90% 16S rRNA sequence identity) to cultured and uncultured archaea, with many clones forming clusters that branched deeply within the Euryarchaeota. Forty-two and 53% of the bacterial and archaeal clones had less than 90% 16S rRNA sequence identity to previously described sequences. This indicates that the water and sediments of the Wadi An Natrun harbor a unique and novel prokaryotic diversity that is different from what has been described among other alkaline, athalassohaline lakes.     

Microbial diversity in lake sediments detected by PCR-DGGE

In this study,PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was applied to analyze the microbial communities in lake sediments from Lake Xuanwu,Lake Mochou in Nanjing and Lake Taihu in Wuxi.Sediment samples from seven locations in three lakes were collected and their genomic DNAs were extracted.The DNA yields of the sediments of Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou were high (10 μg/g),while that of sediments in Lake Taihu was relatively low.After DNA purification,the 16S rDNA genes (V3 to V5 region) were amplified and the amplified DNA fragments were separated by parallel DGGE.The DGGE profiles showed that there were five common bands in all the lake sediment samples indicating that there were similarities among the populations of microorganisms in all the lake sediments.The DGGE profiles of Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou were similar and about 20 types of micro-organisms were identified in the sediment samples of both lakes.These results suggest that the sediment samples of these two city lakes (Xuanwu,Mochou) have similar microbial communities.However,the DGGE profiles of sediment samples in Lake Taihu were significantly differ-ent from these two lakes.Furthermore,the DGGE pro-files of sediment samples in different locations in Lake Taihu were also different,suggesting that the microbial communities in Lake Taihu are more diversified than those in Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou.The differences in microbial diversity may be caused by the different environmental conditions,such as redox potential,pH,and the concentrations of organic matters.Seven major bands of 16S rDNA genes fragments from the DGGE profiles of sediment samples were further re-amplified and sequenced.The results of sequencing analysis indicate that five sequences shared 99%-100% homology with known sequences (Bacillus and Brevibacillus,uncultured bacteria),while the other two sequences shared 93%-96% homology with known sequences (Acinetobacter,and Bacillus).The study shows that the PCR-DGGE tech-nique combined with sequence analysis is a feasible and efficient method for the determination of microbial com-munities in sediment samples.     

Microbial diversity in lake sediments detected by PCR-DGGE

In this study, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was applied to analyze the microbial communities in lake sediments from Lake Xuanwu, Lake Mochou in Nanjing and Lake Taihu in Wuxi. Sediment samples from seven locations in three lakes were collected and their genomic DNAs were extracted. The DNA yields of the sediments of Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou were high (10 μg/g), while that of sediments in Lake Taihu was relatively low. After DNA purification, the 16S rDNA genes (V3 to V5 region) were amplified and the amplified DNA fragments were separated by parallel DGGE. The DGGE profiles showed that there were five common bands in all the lake sediment samples indicating that there were similarities among the populations of microorganisms in all the lake sediments. The DGGE profiles of Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou were similar and about 20 types of microorganisms were identified in the sediment samples of both lakes. These results suggest that the sediment samples of these two city lakes (Xuanwu, Mochou) have similar microbial communities. However, the DGGE profiles of sediment samples in Lake Taihu were significantly different from these two lakes. Furthermore, the DGGE profiles of sediment samples in different locations in Lake Taihu were also different, suggesting that the microbial communities in Lake Taihu are more diversified than those in Lake Xuanwu and Lake Mochou. The differences in microbial diversity may be caused by the different environmental conditions, such as redox potential, pH, and the concentrations of organic matters. Seven major bands of 16S rDNA genes fragments from the DGGE profiles of sediment samples were further re-amplified and sequenced. The results of sequencing analysis indicate that five sequences shared 99%–100% homology with known sequences (Bacillus and Brevibacillus, uncultured bacteria), while the other two sequences shared 93%–96% homology with known sequences (Acinetobacter, and Bacillus). The study shows that the PCR-DGGE technique combined with sequence analysis is a feasible and efficient method for the determination of microbial communities in sediment samples. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(11): 3610–3616 [译自: 生态学报]     

环境因素对东平湖沉积物细菌群落结构的影响

【目的】探讨环境因素对东平湖沉积物细菌群落结构的影响。【方法】应用T-RFLP(Terminal RestrictionFragment Length Polymorphism)技术分析和比较了6个不同位置的东平湖沉积物在丰水期和枯水期的细菌多样性,并结合不同样品环境因子的差异,采用主成分分析(PCA)和典型对应分析(CCA),探讨了环境因子对细菌多样性的影响。【结果】不同沉积物样品的T-RFLP图谱具有较高的相似性。除2号样品外,所有枯水期样品的细菌群落具有较高的丰富度、多样性、均匀度和较低的优势度。CCA结果表明,558bp T-RF的丰度与总磷、总氮、总有机碳、铵态氮和硝态氮含量呈负相关而与碳氮比和水深呈正相关;64.5、164、509和543bp T-RFs的丰度与总氮、总有机碳、铵态氮、硝态氮、碳氮比和水深呈正相关;而其它14种主要的T-RFs在不同样品间分布较为稳定受环境因子影响不大。90、136.5、138和488bp等T-RFs可能代表了东平湖沉积物中占优势地位的土著菌群。通过Phylogenetic Assignment Tool在线分析结果推测,东平湖沉积物中的优势菌群可能属于Firmicutes和Proteobacteria门。【结论】环境因素对东平湖沉积物的细菌多样性产生显著影响,但对其土著菌群的影响不大。     

The microbial composition of three limnologically disparate hypersaline Antarctic lakes

16S rRNA clone library analysis was used to examine the biodiversity and community structure within the sediments of three hypersaline Antarctic lakes. Compared to sediment of low to moderate salinity Antarctic lakes the species richness of the hypersaline lake sediments was 2-20 times lower. The community of Deep Lake (32% salinity, average sediment temperature -15 degrees C) was made up almost entirely of halophilic Archaea. The sediment communities of two meromictic hypersaline lakes, Organic Lake (20% salinity, -7 degrees C) and Ekho Lake (15% salinity, 15 degrees C) were more complex, containing phylotypes clustering within the Proteobacteria and Cytophagales divisions and with algal chloroplasts. Many phylotypes of these lakes were related to taxa more adapted to marine-like salinity and perhaps derive from bacteria exported into the sediment from the lower salinity surface waters. The Ekho Lake clone library contained several major phylotypes related to the Haloanaerobiales, the growth of which appears to be promoted by the comparatively high in situ temperature of this lake.     

Anaerobic methane oxidation potential and bacteria in freshwater lakes: Seasonal changes and the influence of trophic status

Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo), mainly carried out by n-damo bacteria, is an important pathway for mitigating methane emission from freshwater lakes. Although n-damo bacteria have been detected in a variety of freshwater lakes, their potential and distribution, and associated environmental factors, remain unclear. Therefore, the current study investigated the potential and distribution of anaerobic methanotrophs in sediments from Erhai Lake and Dianchi Lake, two adjacent freshwater lakes in the Yunnan Plateau with different trophic status. Both lakes showed active anaerobic methane oxidation potential and harbored a high density of n-damo bacteria. Based on the n-damo pmoA gene, sediment n-damo bacterial communities mainly consisted of Candidatus Methylomirabils oxyfera and Candidatus Methylomirabils sinica, as well as novel n-damo organisms. Sediment anaerobic methane oxidation potential and the n-damo bacterial community showed notable differences among seasons and between lakes. The environmental variables associated with lake trophic status (e.g. total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total organic carbon) might have significant impacts on the anaerobic methane oxidation potential, as well as the abundance and community structure of n-damo bacteria. Therefore, trophic status could determine the n-damo process in freshwater lake sediment.     

Community structure of Archaea and Bacteria in a profundal lake sediment Lake Kinneret (Israel)

The microbial community structure of an anoxic profundal lake sediment, i.e., subtropical Lake Kinneret, was analysed with respect to its composition by culture-independent molecular methods including terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, comparative sequence analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR. In particular we were interested in the structure, species composition, and relative abundance of the overall microbial community in the methanogenic sediment layer (0-10 cm depth). Pairwise comparison of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA gene T-RFLP profiles obtained from three independent samplings indicated stability of the microbial community. The numbers of Archaea and Bacteria, quantified by real-time PCR, amounted to about 10(8) and 10(10) 16S rRNA gene copies cm(-3) sediment, respectively, suggesting that Archaea may account for only a minor fraction (approximately 1%) of the total prokaryotic community. Hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales and acetoclastic Methanosaeta spp. dominated T-RFLP profiles of the archaeal community. T-RFLP profiles of the bacterial community were dominated by Deltaproteobacteria, sulphate reducers and syntrophs in particular. The second most abundant group was assigned to the Bacteroidetes-Chlorobi-group. Only one bacterial group, which was affiliated with halorespiring bacteria of subphylum II of the Chloroflexi, showed variation in abundance within the sediment samples investigated. Our study gives a comprehensive insight into the structure of the bacterial and archaeal community of a profundal lake sediment, indicating that sulphate reducers, syntrophs, bacteroidetes, halorespirers and methanogens are of particular importance in Lake Kinneret sediment.     

富营养化城市湖泊武汉东湖沉积物微生物群体结构及空间变化研究(英文)北大核心CSCD

【目的】城市湖泊沉积物中的微生物群体是富营养环境生物修复的重要因素。本研究拟对中型富营养化湖泊——武汉东湖沉积物细菌群体结构及空间变化规律进行研究。加深对富营养湖泊微生物群体结构的理解,并为城市湖泊的保护和污染控制提供参考。【方法】采用16S r RNA基因RFLP分析和序列分析技术获得细菌群体系统发育信息。采用PCoA法分析武汉东湖沉积物细菌群体内以及与其它湖泊沉积物细菌群体间的相似性。采用CCA法分析环境因素对细菌群体的影响。【结果】武汉东湖沉积物细菌群体包含13个门和2个未知种群。PCoA分析进一步表明来自东湖3个子湖的细菌群体与其它地域富营养化湖泊的微生物种群结构相似,并区别于重度富营养化子湖庙湖的细菌群体。在庙湖中,我们发现了Thermogymnomonas类古菌的含量显著偏高。CCA分析表明细菌的分布与沉积物中碳、氮和磷元素的含量显著相关。【结论】本研究进一步确证了环境因素对细菌群体组成和分布的调节作用,加深了对富营养水体微生物群体结构的理解,并为城市湖泊的保护和污染控制提供了参考。     

Bacterial Diversity in the Haloalkaline Lake Elmenteita, Kenya

Lake Elmenteita is one of the alkaline saline lakes within the Kenyan Rift valley. The lake is situated on the floor of the Kenyan Rift Valley at 1,776?m above sea level and has no direct outlet. The microbial diversity of the lake was investigated using a culture-independent approach. Five different sampling points were selected randomly within the lake. Wet sediments and water samples were collected from each sampling point. In addition, dry mud cake was collected from three points where the lake had dried. DNA was extracted from the samples and the 16S rRNA genes amplified using universal primers for Bacteria. Thirteen clone libraries were constructed using the PCR amplified 16S rRNA genes. A total of 1,663 clones were picked. Representative clones were selected using ARDRA technique for sequencing. 655 partial and non-chimeric clone sequences indicated the presence of 37 orders in the Domain Bacteria. Cyanobacteria were the most abundant clones in terms of numbers whereas members of the phylum Firmicutes group were the second in terms of numbers but the most diverse in terms of genera represented. All clones affiliated to the class Betaproteobacteria originated from DNA obtained from the water samples. Analysis using BLAST showed that 93.1% of the sequenced clones had similarity values below 98% to both cultured and as yet uncultured bacteria, resulting in 596 phylotypes. Therefore, it can be concluded that Lake Elmenteita harbours phylogenetically diverse groups of bacteria involved in complex metabolic interactions within the Lake??s ecosystem.     

Abundance and community composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in two different zones of Lake Taihu

The abundance and community composition of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the surface sediments of 2 different zones (Meiliang Bay and Eastern Lake Taihu) of Lake Taihu were investigated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and clone libraries. The amoA gene copy numbers in the surface sediment of Meiliang Bay ranged from 4.91?× 10(5) to 8.65?× 10(6) copies/g dry sediment for the archaeal amoA gene and from 3.74?× 10(4) to 3.86?× 10(5) copies/g dry sediment for the bacterial amoA gene, which were significantly higher than those of Eastern Lake Taihu (P?< 0.05). Concentrations of ammonia (NH(4)(+)), total nitrogen, organic matter, and pH of the sediments exhibited significantly negative correlations with the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea or ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (P?< 0.05 or P?< 0.01, respectively). The potential nitrification rates show remarkable correlations with the copy numbers of the archaeal amoA gene. Diversity of the archaeal amoA gene in Eastern Lake Taihu was significantly higher than that of Meiliang Bay, whereas the bacterial amoA gene diversity was comparable for the 2 lake zones. The data obtained in this study would be useful to elucidate the role of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in the nitrogen cycle of freshwater ecosystems.     

新疆天山北坡不同盐湖微生物菌群结构及其影响因子

新疆分布的众多湖泊由于干旱气候成盐作用强烈,近半数已演化到盐湖发展阶段,不同盐湖中也因此蕴含着丰富的耐盐及嗜盐微生物资源。为更好的掌握新疆盐湖微生物资源分布规律及对环境因子变化的响应规律,利用高通量测序技术对新疆天山北坡5个不同演化阶段盐湖湖底沉积物中细菌、古菌多样性和菌群结构及其主要驱动因子进行研究,探讨盐湖演化过程中原核微生物群落结构变化规律。分别采集5个盐湖湖底沉积物样本,进行理化因子测试与细菌和古菌16S rRNA扩增子测序分析,比较不同盐湖理化性质和原核微生物菌群差异,并对原核微生物丰度与环境因子进行关联分析。实验结果表明：5个盐湖湖底沉积物总盐和Na⁺含量顺序为：巴里坤湖 > 伊吾湖 > 艾比湖 > 盐湖 > 柴窝堡湖,除艾比湖外其他四个盐湖沉积物均呈碱性。Alpha多样性结果显示5个盐湖细菌richness、chao1、ACE和shannon丰富度指数均大于古菌相应丰富度指数,不同盐湖细菌丰富度指数差异较大,古菌丰富度指数差异相对较小。从5个盐湖湖底沉积物中共检测获得细菌58门、68纲、138目、253科和560属,古菌4门、8纲、12目、21科和60属,细菌以变形菌门为主,古菌以广古菌门为主。不同盐湖细菌和古菌优势属种类均不相同,巴里坤湖主要是一些嗜盐和耐盐细菌属,而伊吾湖主要是嗜盐和耐盐古菌属,PCoA分析结果也表明不同盐湖微生物在OTUs水平有其独特菌群结构类型。RDA和Bioenv分析结果表明,盐湖湖底沉积物中微生物菌群群落结构主要受Na⁺和总盐（TS）浓度的影响,对细菌菌群结构影响较大,而古菌菌群结构可能受多种理化因子共同调节。此外,盐湖特殊卤水成分会对微生物群落结构产生重大影响。     

Succession and regulation factors of small eukaryote community composition in a lacustrine ecosystem (Lake Pavin)

The structure and dynamics of small eukaryotes (cells with a diameter less than 5 microm) were studied over two consecutive years in an oligomesotrophic lake (Lake Pavin in France). Water samples were collected at 5 and 30 m below the surface; when the lake was stratified, these depths corresponded to the epilimnion and hypolimnion. Changes in small-eukaryote structure were analyzed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and cloning and sequencing of the 18S rRNA genes. Terminal restriction fragments from clones were used to reveal the dominant taxa in T-RFLP profiles of the environmental samples. Spumella-like cells (Chrysophyceae) did not dominate the small eukaryote community identified by molecular techniques in lacustrine ecosystems. Small eukaryotes appeared to be dominated by heterotrophic cells, particularly Cercozoa, which represented nearly half of the identified phylotypes, followed by the Fungi-LKM11 group (25%), choanoflagellates (10.3%) and Chrysophyceae (8.9%). Bicosoecida, Cryptophyta, and ciliates represented less than 9% of the community studied. No seasonal reproducibility in temporal evolution of the small-eukaryote community was observed from 1 year to the next. The T-RFLP patterns were related to bottom-up (resources) and top-down (grazing) variables using canonical correspondence analysis. The results showed a strong top-down regulation of small eukaryotes by zooplankton, more exactly, by cladocerans at 5 m and copepods at 30 m. Among bottom-up factors, temperature had a significant effect at both depths. The concentrations of nitrogenous nutrients and total phosphorus also had an effect on small-eukaryote dynamics at 5 m, whereas bacterial abundance and dissolved oxygen played a more important structuring role in the deeper zone.     

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.     

典型高原湖滨带底泥细菌群落结构及多样性特征

【背景】高原湖泊的富营养化日趋严重,而湖滨带作为湖泊的保护屏障对外源污染物具有拦截净化等作用,水环境变化则会对底泥细菌产生深刻影响。【目的】探究高原湖滨带底泥细菌群落结构特征及与水体富营养化之间的联系。【方法】基于16S rRNA基因高通量测序技术分析了阳宗海南岸湖滨带8个不同样点的底泥细菌群落结构及多样性,并结合样品水体环境因子,采用主成分分析(PCA)和冗余分析(redundancy analysis,RDA)探讨了水体富营养化对底泥细菌群落结构及丰富度的影响。【结果】湖滨带底泥细菌与水体富营养化程度存在响应关系,在水体富营养化程度高的区域(S3)细菌丰富度较高,操作分类单元(operationaltaxonomicunits,OTU)高达1473。反之,在富营养化程度低的区域(S1)细菌丰富度较低,OTU为730。阳宗海南岸湖滨带底泥中主要优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi),含有少量的放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)和厚壁菌门(Firmicutes);绿弯菌门(Chloroflex...     

A Comparison of the Benthic Bacterial Communities Within and Surrounding <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dreissena</Emphasis> Clusters in Lakes

The impact of Dreissena (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis) on the benthic bacterial community in lakes is largely unknown. Therefore, we quantified differences in the structure and activity of bacterial communities living in sediments (1) associated with Dreissena clusters, and (2) unassociated with established clusters (lake bottom sediments). Dreissena clusters and sediments were collected from locations in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and several inland lakes. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the benthic bacterial community showed that the bacterial populations selected for by Dreissena represent a subset of the bottom communities and are geographically distinct. Community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) showed that overall bacterial activity and metabolic diversity were enhanced by the presence of clusters in all samples, with the exception of those harvested from the two Lake Erie sites. Therefore, Dreissena appears to affect both structure and metabolic function of the benthic bacterial community and may have yet unexplored ecosystem and food web consequences.     

Succession and Regulation Factors of Small Eukaryote Community Composition in a Lacustrine Ecosystem (Lake Pavin)

The structure and dynamics of small eukaryotes (cells with a diameter less than 5 μm) were studied over two consecutive years in an oligomesotrophic lake (Lake Pavin in France). Water samples were collected at 5 and 30 m below the surface; when the lake was stratified, these depths corresponded to the epilimnion and hypolimnion. Changes in small-eukaryote structure were analyzed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and cloning and sequencing of the 18S rRNA genes. Terminal restriction fragments from clones were used to reveal the dominant taxa in T-RFLP profiles of the environmental samples. Spumella-like cells (Chrysophyceae) did not dominate the small eukaryote community identified by molecular techniques in lacustrine ecosystems. Small eukaryotes appeared to be dominated by heterotrophic cells, particularly Cercozoa, which represented nearly half of the identified phylotypes, followed by the Fungi-LKM11 group (25%), choanoflagellates (10.3%) and Chrysophyceae (8.9%). Bicosoecida, Cryptophyta, and ciliates represented less than 9% of the community studied. No seasonal reproducibility in temporal evolution of the small-eukaryote community was observed from 1 year to the next. The T-RFLP patterns were related to bottom-up (resources) and top-down (grazing) variables using canonical correspondence analysis. The results showed a strong top-down regulation of small eukaryotes by zooplankton, more exactly, by cladocerans at 5 m and copepods at 30 m. Among bottom-up factors, temperature had a significant effect at both depths. The concentrations of nitrogenous nutrients and total phosphorus also had an effect on small-eukaryote dynamics at 5 m, whereas bacterial abundance and dissolved oxygen played a more important structuring role in the deeper zone.     

Unexpected stasis in a changing world: Lake nutrient and chlorophyll trends since 1990

The United States (U.S.) has faced major environmental changes in recent decades, including agricultural intensification and urban expansion, as well as changes in atmospheric deposition and climate—all of which may influence eutrophication of freshwaters. However, it is unclear whether or how water quality in lakes across diverse ecological settings has responded to environmental change. We quantified water quality trends in 2913 lakes using nutrient and chlorophyll (Chl) observations from the Lake Multi‐Scaled Geospatial and Temporal Database of the Northeast U.S. (LAGOS‐NE), a collection of preexisting lake data mostly from state agencies. LAGOS‐NE was used to quantify whether lake water quality has changed from 1990 to 2013, and whether lake‐specific or regional geophysical factors were related to the observed changes. We modeled change through time using hierarchical linear models for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), stoichiometry (TN:TP), and Chl. Both the slopes (percent change per year) and intercepts (value in 1990) were allowed to vary by lake and region. Across all lakes, TN declined at a rate of 1.1% year^?1, while TP, TN:TP, and Chl did not change. A minority (7%–16%) of individual lakes had changing nutrients, stoichiometry, or Chl. Of those lakes that changed, we found differences in the geospatial variables that were most related to the observed change in the response variables. For example, TN and TN:TP trends were related to region‐level drivers associated with atmospheric deposition of N; TP trends were related to both lake and region‐level drivers associated with climate and land use; and Chl trends were found in regions with high air temperature at the beginning of the study period. We conclude that despite large environmental change and management efforts over recent decades, water quality of lakes in the Midwest and Northeast U.S. has not overwhelmingly degraded or improved.