SFS Annual Meeting

5/21/2019  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  150 G

ASSESSING DATA GAPS IN BACTERIAL DIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE: A GLOBAL SYNTHESIS OF FRESHWATERS Freshwaters account for 0.8% of Earth’s surface area, yet support ~10% of all known species making them disproportionately biodiverse. Modern molecular techniques have recently begun to reveal microbial diversity, and we hypothesize that biogeographic knowledge of this diversity is incomplete. To identify biogeographic gaps in microbial diversity knowledge, we conducted a literature review of freshwaters (streams, lakes, and wetlands) in which microbial diversity have been sampled using molecular techniques that either identify microbial taxa or describe their genetic diversity. We georeferenced all survey locations and used a geographic information system to identify gaps in survey coverage along climatic gradients and among freshwater ecoregions. We compiled 3,000 georeferenced survey locations reported from >600 studies. Climatic gaps in survey coverage projected onto geographic coordinate space, indicate survey coverage is fair for temperate regions but lacking in the highly biodiverse tropics and the arctic. Furthermore, only ~15% (n=64) out of the 426 freshwater ecoregions have been surveyed for microbial diversity. These results are likely due to proximity to research institutions in developed countries but necessitate expanding microbial biodiversity surveying efforts to underrepresented regions, particularly in the Neotropical, Indomalaya, and Antarctic biogeographic realms.

Allison Veach (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Texas San Antonio, allison.veach@utsa.edu;


Matthew Troia (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Texas San Antonio, troiamj@gmail.com;


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5/21/2019  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  150 G

A MULTI-SCALE APPROACH TO ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF EMERGING CONTAMINANTS ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IN LOTIC ECOSYSTEMS A variety of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, illicit drugs, engineered nanomaterials, and microplastics, are detectable in freshwater ecosystems throughout the world as a result of human activities. Because these contaminants are most often found at low concentrations in the environment, they are generally not toxic to aquatic life. However, there is growing concern about the potential for these contaminants to disrupt ecological processes. We are investigating the relationships between emerging contaminants and the activity and composition of benthic microbial communities, which are essential components of stream ecosystems due to their contributions to nutrient cycling and primary production. Understanding mechanistic relationships between contaminants and microbial communities can be challenging in the field, so we have adopted a multi-scale approach that includes field studies, laboratory model systems, and high-throughput screening. Our results have demonstrated that environmentally relevant concentrations of a variety of emerging contaminants can have significant impacts on the composition and activity of benthic microbial communities, including decreases in respiration and primary production and selection for resistant organisms. These results support the conclusion that emerging contaminants can be agents of ecosystem change.

John Kelly (Primary Presenter/Author), Loyola University Chicago, Jkelly7@luc.edu;


Emma Rosi (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, rosie@caryinstitute.org;


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5/21/2019  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  150 G

A NOVEL POINT INPUT TO A LARGE RIVER AFFECTS WATER AND SEDIMENT MICROBIAL COMPOSITION AND N-CYCLING FUNCTIONAL POTENTIAL The microbial community composition (MCC) of flowing waters is affected by cell inputs from upstream sources, and by environmental filtering within the aquatic habitat. It is not clear how these shifts in MCC are associated with differences in biogeochemical function. To evaluate links between microbial community source, composition and function, we tracked the water chemistry and microbial compositional change resulting from a unique release of high-N water from a decommissioned fertilizer manufacturing plant to a large river. We also used lab experiments to measure the N-cycling kinetics of river bacterioplankton and point source microbiota, expecting the high-N source community to support higher N-cycling rates. We detected river water and sediment MCC responses to the point input, but these attenuated downstream, and seasonal shifts in MCC were greater than the input effect. Lab experiments supported the hypothesis that MCC source affected N-cycling functional potential, in that fertilizer waste MCC had a greater denitrification potential at higher nitrate concentrations. However, the denitrification potential of the river water MCC was greater at nitrate concentrations typical of in situ river conditions. Environmental filtering of a distinct source community can affect both MCC and function.

Amy J. Burgin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Kansas, burginam@ku.edu;


Janaye Hanschu (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Kansas State University, jhanschu@ksu.edu;


Michelle Catherine Kelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Kansas, michellekelly@ku.edu;


Emma Overstreet (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, evover@live.com;


Lydia Zeglin (Primary Presenter/Author), Kansas State University, lzeglin@ksu.edu;


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5/21/2019  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  150 G

LEAF LITTER SPECIES AFFECTS ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY The rate at which leaf litter decomposes in streams varies predictably with the physical and chemical traits of the litter. Decomposition recycles elements as they move from dead organic matter into freshwater food webs. An important pathway of elemental transfer during decomposition is through microbial colonization of leaf litter. Our approach using 15N and 13C enables quantitative tracing of element flux from litter to the microbes to understand how litter type affects this pathway. Here we demonstrate using, 12 leaf species, how leaf litter type affects microbial biomass and community assemblages using chloroform fumigation and 16S and ITS DNA sequencing. Results show 1) microbial C and N biomass are positively correlated with mass loss, 2) the C:N ratio of microbes was inversely correlated with decomposition, 3) bacterial community assemblages were strongly structured by time in the river, 4) bacterial community composition and diversity also correlated with decomposition rates, and 5) fungal communities also differed across litter types but the differences were not as pronounced as bacteria. Together these results indicate that fast decomposing litters transfer more carbon and nitrogen to microbes.

Courtney Roush (Primary Presenter/Author), Northern Arizona University, cmr627@nau.edu;


Meghan Schrik (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, ms3398@nau.edu;


Alicia Purcell (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, amp753@nau.edu ;


Benjamin Koch (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, ben.koch@nau.edu;


Egbert Schwartz (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, egbert.schwartz@nau.edu;


Paul Dijkstra (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, Paul.Dijkstra@nau.edu;


Jane Marks (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Northern Arizona University, jane.marks@nau.edu;


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5/21/2019  |   12:00 - 12:15   |  150 G

MERGING ECOLOGICAL THEORY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL METABOLOMICS In recent years there have been significant advances in understanding environmental microbiomes and their interactions with the environment. New tools have emerged that enable quantitative descriptions of underlying mechanisms that couple microbes with the diverse suite of organic molecules that environmental microbes transform and produce. Linking this understanding to systems-scale biogeochemical function is a major challenge. Recent work shows that ecosystem metabolomes explain 80% of the variation in measured biogeochemical rates. We will discuss an opportunity to meld microbial ecology with biogeochemistry by bringing ecological theory to bear on understanding spatiotemporal patterns of ecosystem metabolomes. A quantitative approach will be demonstrated that can be readily used in any component of the Earth system to reveal when coupled physical-chemical-biological systems are in a state of transition and when they are in relative stasis. This is critical for understanding and ultimately predicting the influences of environmental perturbation.

James Stegen (Primary Presenter/Author), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, james.stegen@pnnl.gov;


Emily Graham (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, emily.graham@pnnl.gov;


Robert Danczak (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, robert.danczak@pnnl.gov;


Malak Tfaily (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Arizona, tfaily@email.arizona.edu;


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5/21/2019  |   12:15 - 12:30   |  150 G

OPPORTUNITIES FOR AQUATIC MICROBIAL META-ANALYSES USING THE NEON NETWORK The dynamic nature of freshwater ecosystems poses challenges to understanding and predicting large-scale, long-term changes in microbial diversity and ecosystem function in lotic environments. Numerous tools are available for characterizing microbiota, and significant advances have been made in appreciating habitat- and patch-scale differences in microbial structure and function. However, detecting longitudinal patterns in microbiota and responses to environmental changes have eluded researchers, in part due to lack of long-term, standardized, and spatially replicated data. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) aims at filling this data gap (neonscience.org). The NEON microbial sampling program utilizes a suite of measurements in benthic and planktonic habitats in order to characterize microbial diversity and abundances: these measurements can be combined with additional physical, chemical, and biological measurements across the network of 27 lotic sites distributed throughout the United States. Standardized sampling and analysis methods are carried out, and quality-controlled data are provided freely to the public. This presentation will describe the NEON microbial sampling program and list potential applications of NEON data for meta-analyses and longitudinal studies. Ultimately, these resources will generate new opportunities for understanding large-scale, long-term impacts of environmental changes on stream ecosystems.

Lee Stanish (Primary Presenter/Author), National Ecological Observatory Network, lstanish@battelleecology.org;


Stephanie Parker (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Battelle, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), sparker@battelleecology.org;
NEON Aquatic Ecologist and Research Scientist

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