Effects of plant species on stream bacterial communities via leachate from leaf litter

Adam S. Wymore, Elena Salpas, Giorgio Casaburi, Cindy M. Liu, Lance B. Price, Bruce A. Hungate, William H. McDowell, Jane C. Marks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Leaf litter provides an important resource to forested stream ecosystems. During leaf fall a significant amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) enters streams as leaf leachate. We compared the effects of plant species and leaf leachate bioavailability on the composition of stream bacterial communities and rates of DOC decomposition. We used four common riparian tree species that varied in foliar chemistry, leachate optical properties, and litter decomposition rate. We used laboratory microcosms from two streams and amended with a standard concentration of DOC derived from leaf leachate of the four tree species. After 24 h, we measured rates of DOC biodegradation and determined the composition of the bacterial communities via bar-coded pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The composition, diversity, and abundance of the bacterial community differed significantly among plant species from both streams. The phylogenetic distance of the different bacterial communities correlated with species-specific leachate optical properties and rates of DOC biodegradation. Highest rates of DOC decomposition were associated with high tannin and lignin leaf types. Results demonstrate that riparian plant species strongly influences stream bacterial communities via their leachate suggesting that alterations to the presence or abundance of riparian plant taxa may influence these communities and associated ecosystem processes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)131-144
Number of pages14
JournalHydrobiologia
Volume807
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2018

Keywords

  • 16S rRNA
  • Dissolved organic carbon
  • Fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Leaf litter
  • Streams

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aquatic Science

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