Microbial biostalactites and streamers commonly grow at iron seepages in abandoned mines worldwide. This study addresses the diversity and composition of these simple prokaryotic communities, which thrive in pH ranges from 2.4 to 6.6 across six different mines. Our analysis of 85 communities reveals that a pH of approximately 3.2 is a critical threshold where alpha and beta diversity change discretely. Below this pH, the average number of ASVs per sample is 2.91 times lower than above this boundary. Autotrophs, heterotrophs, and symbionts of eukaryotes originate from nearly non‐overlapping species pools in the two habitat types that differ only in pH. Communities below pH 3.2 further divide into two distinct groups, differing in diversity, taxonomic, and functional composition. Both types of communities coexist within the same stalactites, likely corresponding to zones where the capillary structure of the stalactite is either perfused or clogged. These findings indicate that microbial community structure can be significantly influenced by the intricate spatial organization of the ecosystem, rather than solely by measurable environmental parameters.

中文翻译：

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铁氧化支持的不同微生物群落


微生物生物缩乳石和飘带通常生长在世界各地废弃矿井的铁渗漏处。本研究解决了这些简单原核生物群落的多样性和组成，这些原核生物群落在 2.4 到 6.6 的 pH 值范围内茁壮成长，分布在六个不同的矿山中。我们对 85 个群落的分析表明，大约 3.2 的 pH 值是 α 和 β 多样性离散变化的关键阈值。低于此 pH 值，每个样品的平均 ASV 数量比高于此阈值低 2.91 倍。真核生物的自养生物、异养生物和共生体起源于两种栖息地类型中几乎不重叠的物种库，这些物种仅在 pH 值上有所不同。低于 pH 3.2 的群落进一步分为两个不同的组，在多样性、分类和功能组成方面有所不同。两种类型的群落共存于同一钟乳石中，可能对应于钟乳石的毛细管结构灌注或堵塞的区域。这些发现表明，微生物群落结构可以受到生态系统错综复杂的空间组织的显着影响，而不仅仅是受可测量的环境参数的影响。