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High Diversity of Diazotrophs in the Forefield of a Receding Alpine Glacier

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Abstract

Forefields of receding glaciers are unique and sensitive environments representing natural chronosequences. In such habitats, microbial nitrogen fixation is of particular interest since the low concentration of bioavailable nitrogen is one of the key limitations for growth of plants and soil microorganisms. Asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in the Damma glacier (Swiss Central Alps) forefield soils was assessed using the acetylene reduction assay. Free-living diazotrophic diversity and population structure were resolved by assembling four NifH sequence libraries for bulk and rhizosphere soils at two soil age classes (8- and 70-year ice-free forefield). A total of 318 NifH sequences were analyzed and grouped into 45 unique phylotypes. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a higher diversity as well as a broader distribution of NifH sequences among phylogenetic clusters than formerly observed in other environments. This illustrates the importance of free-living diazotrophs and their potential contribution to the global nitrogen input in this nutrient-poor environment. NifH diversity in bulk soils was higher than in rhizosphere soils. Moreover, the four libraries displayed low similarity values. This indicated that both soil age and the presence of pioneer plants influence diversification and population structure of free-living diazotrophs.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich.

The authors thank Dr. Michael Bunge and Dr. Ciro Miniaci for their help with the measurement of soil properties, Dr. August Hämmerli for his assistance with GIS and GPS technologies, and Georg Bleikolm for data on microbial nutrient limitation in the Damma forefield soils. The authors also acknowledge Prof. Hans-Martin Fischer and Dr. Martin H. Schroth for reviewing the manuscript and Dr. Bethany D. Jenkins for giving us access to a large and valuable nifH gene sequence database. We thank two anonymous reviewers that helped improve the manuscript.

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  1. Matthias Noll

    Present address: Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing; FG IV.I “Materials Resistance against Microorganisms”, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205, Berlin, Germany

  2. Helmut Bürgmann

    Present address: Centre of Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, 6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Laurence Duc, Matthias Noll, Brigitte E. Meier, Helmut Bürgmann & Josef Zeyer

  2. Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, CHN G50.4, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland

    Laurence Duc

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Duc, L., Noll, M., Meier, B.E. et al. High Diversity of Diazotrophs in the Forefield of a Receding Alpine Glacier. Microb Ecol 57, 179–190 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9408-5

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