Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches
In mountain regions, biological soil crusts (BSCs) provide essential ecological services by being involved in primary production and nitrogen fixation. Eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic components of these unique cryptogamic communities. Here, we present an overview of...
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MDPI AG
2023-10-01
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| author | Elena Patova Irina Novakovskaya Evgeniy Gusev Nikita Martynenko |
| author_facet | Elena Patova Irina Novakovskaya Evgeniy Gusev Nikita Martynenko |
| author_sort | Elena Patova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In mountain regions, biological soil crusts (BSCs) provide essential ecological services by being involved in primary production and nitrogen fixation. Eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic components of these unique cryptogamic communities. Here, we present an overview of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic diversity of such phototrophs in BSCs in the mountain tundra of the northern Ural Mountains. Such assessment is based on morphological surveys and the first metabarcoding analysis in the region. In total, 166 taxa of Cyanobacteria and 256 eukaryotic algae (including Euglenophyta, Ochrophyta, Dinophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Charophyta) were identified. For the first time, 86 taxa new to the BSCs of the high-mountain belt of the region were discovered. Considering species composition, Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta are the most abundant taxa in all the analyzed BSCs. The genera <i>Nostoc, Coccomyxa, Chlamydomonas, Leptolyngbya, Stenomitos, Pycnacronema, Stigonema</i>, and <i>Eunotia</i> had the highest number of taxonomic units. These groups shape the structure, function, and ecology of the BSC communities in the studied region. Our results show that BSCs in the tundras of the Ural Mountains have a high active and passive biodiversity of terrestrial cyanobacteria and algae. Both implemented methods resulted in similar results with a comparable number of algae and cyanobacteria species per sample. Metabarcoding could be implemented in future in the region to accurately screen photosynthetic organisms in BSCs. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-48d3de7d5a394e63a09ad88c01b5a2602023-11-19T16:14:47ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-10-011510108010.3390/d15101080Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding ApproachesElena Patova0Irina Novakovskaya1Evgeniy Gusev2Nikita Martynenko3Institute of Biology of Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya, 28, Syktyvkar 167000, RussiaInstitute of Biology of Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya, 28, Syktyvkar 167000, RussiaA.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt, 33, Moscow 119071, RussiaA.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky Prospekt, 33, Moscow 119071, RussiaIn mountain regions, biological soil crusts (BSCs) provide essential ecological services by being involved in primary production and nitrogen fixation. Eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria are important photosynthetic components of these unique cryptogamic communities. Here, we present an overview of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic diversity of such phototrophs in BSCs in the mountain tundra of the northern Ural Mountains. Such assessment is based on morphological surveys and the first metabarcoding analysis in the region. In total, 166 taxa of Cyanobacteria and 256 eukaryotic algae (including Euglenophyta, Ochrophyta, Dinophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Charophyta) were identified. For the first time, 86 taxa new to the BSCs of the high-mountain belt of the region were discovered. Considering species composition, Cyanobacteria and Chlorophyta are the most abundant taxa in all the analyzed BSCs. The genera <i>Nostoc, Coccomyxa, Chlamydomonas, Leptolyngbya, Stenomitos, Pycnacronema, Stigonema</i>, and <i>Eunotia</i> had the highest number of taxonomic units. These groups shape the structure, function, and ecology of the BSC communities in the studied region. Our results show that BSCs in the tundras of the Ural Mountains have a high active and passive biodiversity of terrestrial cyanobacteria and algae. Both implemented methods resulted in similar results with a comparable number of algae and cyanobacteria species per sample. Metabarcoding could be implemented in future in the region to accurately screen photosynthetic organisms in BSCs.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/10/1080biological soil cruststerrestrial cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algaemountain tundraPolarSubpolar and Northern Urals |
| spellingShingle | Elena Patova Irina Novakovskaya Evgeniy Gusev Nikita Martynenko Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches Diversity biological soil crusts terrestrial cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae mountain tundra Polar Subpolar and Northern Urals |
| title | Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches |
| title_full | Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches |
| title_fullStr | Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches |
| title_short | Diversity of Cyanobacteria and Algae in Biological Soil Crusts of the Northern Ural Mountain Region Assessed through Morphological and Metabarcoding Approaches |
| title_sort | diversity of cyanobacteria and algae in biological soil crusts of the northern ural mountain region assessed through morphological and metabarcoding approaches |
| topic | biological soil crusts terrestrial cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae mountain tundra Polar Subpolar and Northern Urals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/10/1080 |
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