

However, the following key questions remain unanswered: (1) what is the microbial taxonomic and functional diversity for the Qinghai Lake water column, (2) what is the metabolic potential and active metabolisms related to the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and (3) what stress response genes are present in organisms involved in the carbon and nitrogen cycles? Answering these questions can provide baseline knowledge that can be used to understand the effect of biodiversity on the microbial community response to environmental stress.Īn integrated approach including geochemical, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses were used to answer these questions. Previous studies on Qinghai Lake have detected novel archaea commonly found in marine environments, and the microbial diversity, composition, and lipid profiles all showed a response to salinity change. Qinghai Lake, located on the Tibetan Plateau, is characterzied by oligotrophy, low temperature, moderate salinity, and high UV radiation, making it a unique ecosystem for studying microbial response to global climate change –. The fragility and sensitivity of the Tibetan Plateau’s ecosystem to these environmental changes have resulted in loss of habitats and extinctions of endemic macrobiota. The melting glaciers have caused numerous floods and altered salinity and water levels in most of the Tibetan lakes. Temperature has increased 0.28☌ per decade since the early 1960 s causing 82% of the 46,000 glaciers to retreat. For example, the Tibetan Plateau has experienced significant warming in recent decades and is considered to be a sensitive indicator of regional and global climate change. Thus, studying the biodiversity and potential stress response mechanisms can aid in understanding microbial community response to stress.īaseline information on the microbial biodiversity and stress response mechanisms is needed in ecosystems that are sensitive to climate change. For example, Synechococcus has multiple protective mechanisms to cope with UV stress and can maintain photosynthesis, while Procholorcoccus lacks these protective mechanisms and shuts down several key metabolic processes under similar UV stress. However, ecosystems with low diversity can be stable if the organisms have mechanisms to respond to stress. For example, ecosystems with higher biodiversity are more likely to be stable against environmental change because of a greater likelihood of having key functioning species.

taxonomic and functional diversity) of the ecosystem. The microbial response to future global climate change is likely controlled by the biodiversity (i.e.
#Evoland 2 library answers drivers
Microorganisms have been key respondents to and drivers of global climate change by affecting the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. This study provides insight into the stress resilience of microbial metabolic pathways supported by greater taxonomic diversity, which may affect the microbial community response to climate change. Results also indicate a positive relationship between functional diversity and the number of stress response genes. Assimilatory pathways associated with the nitrogen cycle were dominant at both sites. Organisms that expressed photosystem II or oxidative phosphorylation also expressed genes involved in photoprotection and oxidative stress, respectively. Photosystem II was the most active pathway at site B while, oxidative phosphorylation was most active at site E. Photoheterotrophic Loktanella was also present at both sites. Autotrophic Cyanobacteria dominated the DNA samples, while heterotrophic Proteobacteria dominated the RNA samples at both sites. Illumina metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets were generated from lake water samples collected at two sites (B and E). This study provides baseline information on the microbial taxonomic and functional diversity as well as the associated stress response genes. One such sensitive ecosystem is Qinghai Lake, a high-elevation (3196 m) saline (1.4%) lake located on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Yet, little is known about the effects of microbial biodiversity (i.e., taxonmic and functional diversity) on biogeochemical cycles in ecosytems that are highly sensitive to climate change. Microbe-mediated biogeochemical cycles contribute to the global climate system and have sensitive responses and feedbacks to environmental stress caused by climate change.
