Factors influencing the biodiversity of three microbial groups within and among islands of the Baltic Sea

Abstract

Islands provide ideal model systems to examine the factors influencing biodiversity, yet knowledge of microbial biodiversity on islands remains scarce. We collected a dataset from 101 rock pools along a freshwater to brackish water transition on islands of the Baltic Sea and investigated the patterns and drivers of community composition and species richness of diatoms, cyanobacteria, and non-cyanobacteria bacteria among islands. We also examined whether environmental heterogeneity increased beta diversity and species richness within islands. Among islands, the patterns in community composition were concordant among the microbial groups, with distinct changes along the freshwater–brackish gradient. The patterns in species richness were context dependent for each microbial group. In general, richness patterns were most strongly associated with nutrient concentrations or the distances to potential sources of immigrants, whereas no positive relationships between ecosystem size and richness were found. Within islands, environmental heterogeneity was positively correlated with beta diversity of each microbial group, but not species richness. Our findings provide novel insights into the factors influencing microbial biodiversity. The results suggest that island microbial biodiversity patterns are influenced by species sorting and dispersal-related mechanisms and highlight the importance of environmental heterogeneity for beta diversity.

Dispersal of Silica-Scaled Chrysophytes in Northern Water Bodies

“…In recent years, investigations of factors and regularities of distribution of b sity of organisms at different levels of organization became especially relevant Such investigations are not only of ecological but also evolutionary importan Geographical, physicochemical, climatic and historical factors may be the most im for the distribution of protists [34,[36][37][38]. The majority of these investigations dea the analysis of biotopes either within one continent [36,37] or within one wate [34,38].…”

“…In recent years, investigations of factors and regularities of distribution of b sity of organisms at different levels of organization became especially relevant Such investigations are not only of ecological but also evolutionary importan Geographical, physicochemical, climatic and historical factors may be the most im for the distribution of protists [34,[36][37][38]. The majority of these investigations dea the analysis of biotopes either within one continent [36,37] or within one wate [34,38]. Although there are few studies studies on intercontinental factors and r In recent years, investigations of factors and regularities of distribution of biodiversity of organisms at different levels of organization became especially relevant [34][35][36][37][38].…”

“…The majority of these investigations dea the analysis of biotopes either within one continent [36,37] or within one wate [34,38]. Although there are few studies studies on intercontinental factors and r In recent years, investigations of factors and regularities of distribution of biodiversity of organisms at different levels of organization became especially relevant [34][35][36][37][38]. Such investigations are not only of ecological but also evolutionary importance [36].…”

“…Such investigations are not only of ecological but also evolutionary importance [36]. Geographical, physicochemical, climatic and historical factors may be the most important for the distribution of protists [34,[36][37][38]. The majority of these investigations deals with the analysis of biotopes either within one continent [36,37] or within one water body [34,38].…”

“…Geographical, physicochemical, climatic and historical factors may be the most important for the distribution of protists [34,[36][37][38]. The majority of these investigations deals with the analysis of biotopes either within one continent [36,37] or within one water body [34,38]. Although there are few studies studies on intercontinental factors and regularities influencing the distribution of protists [35,39,40].…”