The change in the community structure of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton, and in the degree of coupling between them as well as the environmental conditions, have substantial impacts on the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels and finally on the fate of organic matter. The microbial community structure, usually described only by the abundance of the different taxonomic or functional groups, can be extended to include other levels of descriptors, like physiological state and single-cell properties. These features play a role in the ecological regulation of microbial communities but are not generally studied as additional descriptors of the community structure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNiche selection and microbial dispersal are key factors that shape microbial communities. However, their relative significance varies across different environments and spatiotemporal scales. While most studies focus on the impact of these forces on community composition, few consider other structural levels such as the physiological stage of the microbial community and single-cell characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Sancho reservoir is an acid mine drainage (AMD)-contaminated reservoir located in the Huelva province (SW Spain) with a pH close to 3.5. The water is only used for a refrigeration system of a paper mill.
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