Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Unexpected functional diversity of stream biofilms within and across proglacial floodplains despite close spatial proximity
 
research article

Unexpected functional diversity of stream biofilms within and across proglacial floodplains despite close spatial proximity

Michoud, Gregoire  
•
Kohler, Tyler J. J.  
•
Peter, Hannes  
Show more
August 18, 2023
Limnology and Oceanography

High-mountain streams are particularly vulnerable to climate change because they intimately interface with the cryosphere. As glaciers shrink and snowpack diminishes, proglacial streams will eventually shift from being glacier-fed to streams fed by groundwater, snowmelt and precipitation. This shift will affect both the flow regime and physico-chemical characteristics of streams, possibly also the structure and function of their benthic microbiome. Here, we applied genome-resolved metagenomics to benthic biofilms from glacier-fed streams and their groundwater-fed tributaries within three proglacial floodplains in the Swiss Alps. Despite the close spatial proximity between both stream types, their microbiome structure differed consistently for both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The glacier-fed stream microbiome was taxonomically and functionally less diverse than its groundwater-fed counterpart, and had smaller genomes, but with conservation of the central metabolic functions primarily related to nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Consequently, much higher functional variability was associated with the microbiome of tributary streams, mainly due to abundant genes involved in the transport and degradation of organic matter. Our findings suggest that glacier shrinkage will cause shifts in the functioning of benthic microbiomes of proglacial floodplains with yet unknown consequences for downstream biogeochemistry.

  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1002/lno.12415
Web of Science ID

WOS:001050263900001

Author(s)
Michoud, Gregoire  
Kohler, Tyler J. J.  
Peter, Hannes  
Brandani, Jade  
Busi, Susheel Banu
Battin, Tom J. J.  
Date Issued

2023-08-18

Publisher

American Society of Limnology and Oceanography

Published in
Limnology and Oceanography
Subjects

Limnology

•

Oceanography

•

Marine & Freshwater Biology

•

Oceanography

•

bacteria

•

component

•

ecosystem

•

coverage

•

biomass

•

algae

•

tool

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
RIVER  
Available on Infoscience
August 28, 2023
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/200182
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés