Abstract Detail

Mycological Section

Nadeau, Courtney [1], Davey, Marie [2].

Soil microbial diversity at the world’s northernmost hotsprings.

Located on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, the Trollkjeldene geothermal carbonate springs are among the northernmost documented terrestrial thermal springs in the world. Although the water temperature of the springs is not extreme (25-28°C), they remain ice-free even during the arctic winter and there is nonetheless a steep temperature and nutrient gradient between them and surrounding areas that are not thermically ameliorated. Illumina amplicon sequencing of the ITS region of fungal rDNA and 16S region of prokaryotic rDNA was used to investigate fungal and bacterial diversity in the soils surrounding the thermal springs. Fungal species richness decreased in the areas immediately adjacent to the thermal springs, and community composition differed substantially between these and those not showing signs of thermic amelioration. The fungal communities were structured significantly by soil temperature, pH, carbon and nitrogen content, and the composition of the surrounding vascular plant community. By contrast, prokaryotic species richness was constant along the gradient approaching the thermal springs, although community composition still varied significantly and was structured by similar factors as the fungal community.

1 - Argos Genomics, Uelands gate 40, Oslo, 0457, Norway
2 - University of Oslo, Department of Biology , PO Box 1066 , Oslo, 0316, Norway

Keywords:
metabarcoding
soil fungi
biodiversity
Arctic
hotspring
Community ecology
Illumina HiSeq.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 29
Location: Salon 1/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 8:30 AM
Number: 29003
Abstract ID:835
Candidate for Awards:None