Authors
Colleen M Hansel, Scott Fendorf, Phillip M Jardine, Christopher A Francis
Publication date
2008/3/1
Journal
Applied and environmental microbiology
Volume
74
Issue
5
Pages
1620-1633
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Description
Spatial heterogeneity in physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils allows for the proliferation of diverse microbial communities. Factors influencing the structuring of microbial communities, including availability of nutrients and water, pH, and soil texture, can vary considerably with soil depth and within soil aggregates. Here we investigated changes in the microbial and functional communities within soil aggregates obtained along a soil profile spanning the surface, vadose zone, and saturated soil environments. The composition and diversity of microbial communities and specific functional groups involved in key pathways in the geochemical cycling of nitrogen, Fe, and sulfur were characterized using a coupled approach involving cultivation-independent analysis of both 16S rRNA (bacterial and archaeal) and functional genes (amoA and dsrAB) as well as cultivation-based analysis of Fe(III)-reducing …
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Scholar articles
CM Hansel, S Fendorf, PM Jardine, CA Francis - Applied and environmental microbiology, 2008