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Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms are ubiquitous in the environment, and the atmosphere is no exception. However, airborne bacterial communities are some of the least studied. Increasing our knowledge about these communities and how environmental factors shape them is key to understanding disease outbreaks and transmission routes. We describe airborne bacterial communities at two different sites in Tenerife, La Laguna (urban, 600 m.a.s.l.) and Izaña (high mountain, 2,400 m.a.s.l.), and how they change throughout the year. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to target 16S rRNA genes in 293 samples. Results indicated a predominance of Proteobacteria at both sites (>65%), followed by Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. Gammaproteobacteria were the most frequent within the Proteobacteria phylum during spring and winter, while Alphaproteobacteria dominated in the fall and summer. Within the 519 genera identified, Cellvibrio was the most frequent during spring (35.75%) and winter (30.73%); Limnobacter (24.49%) and Blastomonas (19.88%) dominated in the summer; and Sediminibacterium represented 10.26 and 12.41% of fall and winter samples, respectively. Sphingomonas was also identified in 17.15% of the fall samples. These five genera were more abundant at the high mountain site, while other common airborne bacteria were more frequent at the urban site (Kocuria, Delftia, Mesorhizobium, and Methylobacterium). Diversity values showed different patterns for both sites, with higher values during the cooler seasons in Izaña, whereas the opposite was observed in La Laguna. Regarding wind back trajectories, Tropical air masses were significantly different from African ones at both sites, showing the highest diversity and characterized by genera regularly associated with humans (Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, and Cloacibacterium), as well as others related to extreme conditions (Alicyclobacillus) or typically associated with animals (Lachnospiraceae). Marine and African air masses were consistent and very similar in their microbial composition. By contrast, European trajectories were dominated by Cellvibrio, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Sediminibacterium. These data contribute to our current state of knowledge in the field of atmospheric microbiology. However, future studies are needed to increase our understanding of the influence of different environmental factors on atmospheric microbial dispersion and the potential impact of airborne microorganisms on ecosystems and public health.

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Martin C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8563076 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Macaronesian laurel forest is among the worldwide hotspots of threatened biodiversity. With increasing evidence that woodland composition on the Canary Islands changed dramatically during the last few thousand years, the aim of this study was to find evidence for substantial recent population dynamics of two representative species from laurel forest.Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was used to evaluate fine-scaled genetic variation of the paradigmatic tree Laurus novocanariensis (Lauraceae) and a long-lived herbaceous gentian from core laurel forest, Ixanthus viscosus (Gentianaceae), on Tenerife. Bioclimatic variables were analysed to study the respective climate niches. A chloroplast DNA screening was performed to evaluate additional genetic variation.Genetic diversity of the laurel tree showed severe geographic partitioning. On Tenerife, fine-scaled Bayesian clustering of genetic variation revealed a western and an eastern gene pool, separated by a zone of high admixture and with a third major gene pool. Compared with genetic clusters found on the other Canary Islands, the East-West differentiation on Tenerife seems to be more recent than differentiation between islands. This is substantiated by the finding of extremly low levels of chloroplast DNA-based polymorphisms. Ixanthus showed no geographic structuring of genetic variation.Genetic data from Tenerife indicate contemporary gene flow and dispersal on a micro/local scale rather than reflecting an old and relic woodland history. In particular for Laurus, it is shown that this species occupies a broad bioclimatic niche. This is not correlated with its respective distribution of genetic variation, therefore indicating its large potential for contemporary rapid and effective colonization. Ixanthus is more specialized to humid conditions and is mostly found in the natural Monteverde húmedo vegetation types, but even for this species indications for long-term persistence in the respective bioclimatically differentiated regions was not find.

Project description:Air quality trends and patterns in the coastal city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) for the period 2011-2015 were analyzed. The orographic and meteorological characteristics, the proximity to the African continent, and the influence of the Azores anticyclone in combination with the anthropogenic (oil refinery, road/maritime traffic) and natural emissions create specific dispersion conditions. SO2, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O3 pollutants were assessed. The refinery was the primary source of SO2; EU hourly and daily average limit values were exceeded during 2011 and alert thresholds were reached in 2011 and 2012. WHO daily mean guideline was occasionally exceeded. Annual averages in the three stations that registered the highest concentrations in 2011 and 2012 were between 9.3 and 20.4 μg/m3. The spatial analysis of SO2 concentrations with respect to prevailing winds corroborates a clear influence of the refinery to the SO2 levels. In 2014 and 2015, the refinery did not operate and the concentrations fell abruptly to background levels of 2.5-7.1 μg/m3 far below from WHO AQG. NO2 EU limit values, as well as WHO AQG for the period 2011-2015, were not exceeded. The progressive dieselization of the vehicle fleet caused an increment on NO2 annual mean concentrations (from 2011 to 2015) measured at two stations close to busy roads 25 to 31 μg/m3 (+21%) and 27 to 35 μg/m3 (+29%). NO x daily and weekly cycles (working days and weekends) were characterized. An anti-correlation was found between NO x and O3, showing that O3 is titrated by locally emitted NO. Higher O3 concentrations were reported because less NO x emitted during the weekends showing a clear weekend effect. Saharan dust intrusions have a significant impact on PM levels. After subtracting natural sources contribution, none of the stations reached the EU maximum 35 yearly exceedances of daily means despite seldom exceedances at some stations. None of the stations exceeded the annual mean EU limit values; however, many stations exceeded the annual mean WHO AQG. Observed PM10 annual average concentrations in all the stations fluctuated between 10.1 and 35.3 μg/m3, where background concentrations were 6.5-24.4 μg/m3 and natural contributions: 4.2-9.1 μg/m3. No PM10 temporal trends were identified during the period except for an effect of washout due to the rain: concentrations were lower in 2013 and 2014 (the most rainy years of the period). None of the stations reached the PM2.5 annual mean EU 2015 limit value. However, almost all the stations registered daily mean WHO AQG exceedances. During 2015, PM2.5 concentrations were higher than the previous years (2015, 8.8-12.3 μg/m3; 2011-2014, 3.7-9.6 μg/m3). O3 complied with EU target values; stricter WHO AQG were sometimes exceeded in all the stations for the whole time period.

Project description:Background and aimsNon-native plant species are not restricted to lowlands, but increasingly are invading high elevations. While for both native and non-native species we expected variability of plant functional traits due to the changing environmental conditions along elevational gradients, we additionally assumed that non-native species are characterized by a more acquisitive growth strategy, as traits reflecting such a strategy have been found to correlate with invasion success. Furthermore, the typical lowland introduction of non-native species coming from multiple origins should lead to higher trait variability within populations of non-native species specifically at low elevations, and they might therefore occupy a larger total trait space.MethodsAlong an elevational gradient ranging from 55 to 1925 m a.s.l. on Tenerife, we collected leaves from eight replicate individuals in eight evenly distributed populations of five native and six non-native forb species. In each population, we measured ten eco-morphological and leaf biochemical traits and calculated trait variability within each population and the total trait space occupied by native and non-native species.Key resultsWe found both positive (e.g. leaf dry matter content) and negative (e.g. leaf N) correlations with elevation for native species, but only few responses for non-native species. For non-native species, within-population variability of leaf dry matter content and specific leaf area decreased with elevation, but increased for native species. The total trait space occupied by all non-native species was smaller than and a subset of that of native species.ConclusionsWe found little evidence that intraspecific trait variability is associated with the success of non-native species to spread towards higher elevations. Instead, for non-native species, our results indicate that intermediate trait values that meet the requirements of various conditions are favourable across the changing environmental conditions along elevational gradients. As a consequence, this might prevent non-native species from overcoming abruptly changing environmental conditions, such as when crossing the treeline.

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Airborne Bacterial Community Composition According to Their Origin in Tenerife, Canary Islands

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