Universität zu Köln

Dorador, Cristina ORCID: 0000-0002-7641-2154, Fink, Patrick ORCID: 0000-0002-5927-8977, Hengst, Martha, Icaza, Gonzalo, Villalobos, Alvaro S., Vejar, Drina, Meneses, Daniela, Zadjelovic, Vinko, Burmann, Lisa, Moelzner, Jana and Harrod, Chris ORCID: 0000-0002-5353-1556 (2018). Microbial community composition and trophic role along a marked salinity gradient in Laguna Puilar, Salar de Atacama, Chile. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 111 (8). S. 1361 - 1375. DORDRECHT: SPRINGER. ISSN 1572-9699

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Abstract

The geological, hydrological and microbiological features of the Salar de Atacama, the most extensive evaporitic sedimentary basin in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, have been extensively studied. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to the composition and roles of microbial communities in hypersaline lakes which are a unique feature in the Salar. In the present study biochemical, chemical and molecular biological tools were used to determine the composition and roles of microbial communities in water, microbial mats and sediments along a marked salinity gradient in Laguna Puilar which is located in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. The bacterial communities at the sampling sites were dominated by members of the phyla Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria. Stable isotope and fatty acid analyses revealed marked variability in the composition of microbial mats at different sampling sites both horizontally (at different sites) and vertically (in the different layers). The Laguna Puilar was shown to be a microbially dominated ecosystem in which more than 60% of the fatty acids at particular sites are of bacterial origin. Our pioneering studies also suggest that the energy budgets of avian consumers (three flamingo species) and dominant invertebrates (amphipods and gastropods) use minerals as a source of energy and nutrients. Overall, the results of this study support the view that the Salar de Atacama is a heterogeneous and fragile ecosystem where small changes in environmental conditions may alter the balance of microbial communities with possible consequences at different trophic levels.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Dorador, Cristina UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-7641-2154 UNSPECIFIED Fink, Patrick UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5927-8977 UNSPECIFIED Hengst, Martha UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Icaza, Gonzalo UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Villalobos, Alvaro S. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Vejar, Drina UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Meneses, Daniela UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zadjelovic, Vinko UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Burmann, Lisa UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Moelzner, Jana UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Harrod, Chris UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5353-1556 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-178847
DOI:	10.1007/s10482-018-1091-z
Journal or Publication Title:	Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek
Volume:	111
Number:	8
Page Range:	S. 1361 - 1375
Date:	2018
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	DORDRECHT
ISSN:	1572-9699
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language LAKE TEBENQUICHE; SP-NOV.; BACTERIAL DIVERSITY; STABLE-ISOTOPES; NORTHERN CHILE; ECOSYSTEM; ORIGINS; SALTERN; DESERT; CARBON Multiple languages Microbiology Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/17884