A Common Seasonal Pattern Found in Bacterial Communities in Six Arctic Rivers
30.11.2009 - Water & Oceans, Flora & Fauna, Other, Arctic
New research on bacterial communities in six large Arctic riverecosystems (in the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Kolyma, Yukon and MackenzieRivers) reveals predictable temporal patterns, suggesting scientistscould use them as markers for monitoring climate change in the PolarRegions. The Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences showedbacterial communities in the studied environments witnessed the sameshifts synchronously over time, in correlation with seasonal shifts inhydrology and biogeochemistry.
The synchrony of the shifts found in the lakes indicates that hemisphere-scale variation in seasonal climate change defines the tempo for variation in microbial diversity. The reassembly of the seasonal communities over the years further suggests a predictable succession in the composition of big river bacterial communities over the long term. Any divergence from this established scheme might be considered an early signal for future climate change in parts of the Arctic.
These results, based on data collected through the PARTNERS program, provide a unique perspective on global-scale patterns in bacterial diversity.
