Jump to main content
US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Search
Search
Main menu
Environmental Topics
Laws & Regulations
About EPA
Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)
Contact Us
Print
Feedback
Export to File
Search:
This record has one attached file:
Add More Files
Attach File(s):
Display Name for File*:
Save
Citation
Tags
HERO ID
1567854
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Microbial communities acclimate to recurring changes in soil redox potential status
Author(s)
Deangelis, KM; Silver, WL; Thompson, AW; Firestone, MK
Year
2010
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Environmental Microbiology
ISSN:
1462-2912
EISSN:
1462-2920
Volume
12
Issue
12
Page Numbers
3137-3149
Language
English
PMID
20629704
DOI
10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02286.x
Web of Science Id
WOS:000284961700005
Abstract
Rapidly fluctuating environmental conditions can significantly stress organisms, particularly when fluctuations cross thresholds of normal physiological tolerance. Redox potential fluctuations are common in humid tropical soils, and microbial community acclimation or avoidance strategies for survival will in turn shape microbial community diversity and biogeochemistry. To assess the extent to which indigenous bacterial and archaeal communities are adapted to changing in redox potential, soils were incubated under static anoxic, static oxic or fluctuating redox potential conditions, and the standing (DNA-based) and active (RNA-based) communities and biogeochemistry were determined. Fluctuating redox potential conditions permitted simultaneous CO₂ respiration, methanogenesis, N₂O production and iron reduction. Exposure to static anaerobic conditions significantly changed community composition, while 4-day redox potential fluctuations did not. Using RNA:DNA ratios as a measure of activity, 285 taxa were more active under fluctuating than static conditions, compared with three taxa that were more active under static compared with fluctuating conditions. These data suggest an indigenous microbial community adapted to fluctuating redox potential.
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity