Abiotic and Biotic Effects on Microbial Diversity of Small Water Bodies in and around Towns

Abstract

Microbial communities play very important roles in pollutant treatment and absorption and material and energy cycling in wetlands. Among different wetland types, wetlands in and around towns are the most closely related to human life, but how human activities affect microbes in small water bodies has received little attention. In this study, nine small water bodies of three different landscape types were chosen in the Lishui District of Nanjing City, China. The microbial community characteristics of four different seasons were revealed by metagenomics in 2021, and the possible effects of abiotic and biological factors such as the effects of alien organisms on microbial communities were analyzed. The results showed significant differences in microbial community structure in different seasons and habitats. Abiotic and biological factors jointly affected the microbial communities, and the influence of water quality was greater than that of the habitat type and biological factors. This study shows that in addition to the water quality, the wetland biome structure, especially the abundance of alien species, may have an impact on microbial communities. The results emphasize that human activities such as land use and the introduction of alien species have significant impacts on the ecosystem structure and function.