Open AccessSoil bacterial changes upon snowmelt: laboratory studies of the effects of early and late meltwater fractions
Author(s) -
Thompson I.P.,
Blackwood I.L.,
Davies T.D.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1987.tb02376.x
Subject(s) - meltwater , snowmelt , environmental chemistry , pseudomonadaceae , pseudomonas , biology , chemistry , bacteria , ecology , glacier , surface runoff , paleontology , genetics
The effects of polluted and leached snowmelt waters on an upland soil bacterial community were determined in laboratory soil cores using simulated solutions. 24 isolate characters were determined before, and after, 32 days of solution application. The soil bacterial community exposed to polluted meltwaters (pH 2.3) showed a significant increase in its ability to metabolise the carbohydrates tested, and a significant decrease in the number of Gran‐positive coccal forms. The percentage of Micrococcus isolates declined from 27% of the community to 2%, whilst Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae isolates increased in number. The soil bacterial community exposed to leached snowmelt waters (pH 5.4) showed a significant increase in biochemical potential, but the ability to metabolise carbohydrates showed no change.