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Microbial Distributions And Their Potential Controlling Factors In Terrestrial Subsurface Environments

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The Spatial Distribution of Microbes in the Environment

Terrestrial subsurface environments (below the plow layer) contain an enormous amount of the earth’s biomass, yet are relatively undersampled compared to topsoil, aquatic, and marine environments. Depth emerges as a primary axis for relating distributions of microorganisms and the factors controlling their distribution. There is generally a sharp drop in microbial biomass, diversity, and activity as organic-rich topsoils deepen to mineral-dominated subsoils. Progressively deeper samples from the vadose zone to the capillary fringe and into saturated zones often reveal increases in biomass and changes in dominant microbial populations. Biomass appears to slowly decline with depth, and cell viability is limited by temperature between 4.5 and 6 km. In many subsurface environments, spatial distributions of microorganisms are extremely variable, frequently defying prediction. In a few highly structured saturated environments, such as confined or contaminated shallow aquifers, predominant terminal electron accepting activities are arranged in a spatially ordered manner that is consistent with selected geochemical measurements. Sampling issues specific to subsurface environments still require substantial added effort and expense to achieve a reasonable sample density in comparison to most other environments. Technological advances in microbial assay methodologies are easing some of the methodological boundaries that are often exceeded by subsurface samples. Keywords: aquifer, distribution, microorganism, spatial, subsurface, vadose

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Department of Agriculture, North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, 57006, Brookings, SD, USA

    R. Michael Lehman

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  1. R. Michael Lehman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Commonwealth University, 23284, Richmond, VA, USA

    Rima B. Franklin

  2. University of Virginia, 22904-4123, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Aaron L. Mills

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Lehman, R.M. (2007). Microbial Distributions And Their Potential Controlling Factors In Terrestrial Subsurface Environments. In: Franklin, R.B., Mills, A.L. (eds) The Spatial Distribution of Microbes in the Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6216-2_6

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