MicroCity · Microbes in the city: a metagenomic trait-based analysis of microbial metacommunity structure along urbanization gradients

Microbes in the city: a metagenomic trait-based analysis of microbial metacommunity structure along urbanization gradients

Urbanization has become one of the most extreme forms of human-induced environmental changes with the dramatic expansion of urban land area over the past few decades. Urban areas fundamentally differ from natural areas in terms of geochemistry, climate and vegetation cover, and thus form unique ecosystems. Many studies have shown a broad and pronounced impact of urbanization on the ecology and functioning of ecosystems, communities and populations. Majority of these studies have focused on plants and animals, with only a limited number of studies so far focusing on microorganisms. Given the facts that microbes play a pivotal role of bacterial communities in driving biogeochemical cycles and overall ecosystem functioning, and are often the first responders to environmental perturbation; it is of utmost importance to gain insight into the ecological processes governing their community structure and function under anthropogenic stress. Understanding functional responses of microbes in natural systems with well-defined urbanization gradients can be crucial to predict and manage ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services to society. In the MicroCity project, we capitalized on a sampling campaign, which included sampling of fresh-water ponds across well-defined gradients of urbanization in Flanders (Belgium). Belgium is a highly populated, strongly urbanized country where land is in high demand and therefore agricultural practices are intensive. This creates a mosaic of different types of often-strong anthropogenic impact, and it is key for conservation and biodiversity management and policies to take anthropogenic environments into consideration. Flanders therefore provides a strong model system for studying impacts of urbanization and intensive agriculture. While taxon-focused approaches have dominated majority of research on microbial responses to urbanization, we here applied metagenomics in a molecular trait-based approach to identify the ecological processes that shape microbial metacommunities across environmental gradients associated with urbanization in Belgium. More specifically, we aimed to determine the impact of urbanization on biogeochemical cycles (genes associated with biogeochemical cycling, e.g. C, N, P and S cycles); on pesticide degradation pathways; and on mobile genetic elements in mediating evolutionary dynamics in microbial communities under anthropogenic stress.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз