The influence of temperature and pH on bacterial community composition of microbial mats in hot springs from Costa Rica.

We used the 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing approach to investigate the microbial diversity and community composition in several Costa Rican hot springs alongside the latitudinal axis of the country, with a range of temperatures (37-63°C), pH (6-7.5) and other geochemical conditions. A principal component analyses of the physicochemical parameters showed the samples were separated into three geochemically distinct habitats associated with the location (North, Central, and South).