Variations in Gut Microbiota of Siberian Flying Squirrels Correspond to Seasonal Phenological Changes in Their Hokkaido Subarctic Forest Ecosystem

• Published in: Microbial ecology Vol. 78; no. 1; pp. 223 - 231
• Main Authors: Liu, Po-Yu, Cheng, An-Chi, Huang, Shiao-Wei, Chang, Hao-Wei, Oshida, Tatsuo, Yu, Hon-Tsen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media 01-07-2019; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Annual variations; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Clusters; Communities; Ecology; Environmental changes; Flight; Foraging; Forest ecosystems; Forests; Geoecology/Natural Processes; High temperature; HOST MICROBE INTERACTIONS; Interactions; Intestinal flora; Intestinal microflora; Life Sciences; Low temperature; Microbial activity; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Nature Conservation; Normalized difference vegetative index; Rodents; Seasonal variation; Seasonal variations; Seasons; Squirrels; Temperature; Temperature effects; Terrestrial ecosystems; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Wild animals; Gut microbiota; Folivorous flying squirrel; Phenology; Pteromys volans orii
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1278-x

Gut microbial communities of animals are influenced by diet and seasonal weather changes. Since foraging strategies of wild animals are affected by phenological changes, gut microbial communities would differ among seasons. However, interactions of plant-animal-microbiota with seasonal changes have not been well characterized. Here, we surveyed gut microbial diversity of Siberian flying squirrels (Pteromys volans orii) from a natural forest in Hokkaido during spring and summer of 2013 and 2014. Additionally, we compared microbial diversity to temperature changes and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Changes in both seasonal temperature and phenology were significantly associated with alterations in gut microbiota. There were two clusters of OTUs, below and above 20 °C that were significantly correlated with low and high temperatures, respectively. Low-temperature cluster OTUs belonged to various phyla, whereas the high-temperature cluster was only constituted by Firmicutes. In conclusion, gut microbiota of Siberian flying squirrels varied with environmental changes on an ecological scale.