High-throughput sequencing of 16S RNA genes of soil bacterial communities from a naturally occurring CO sub(2) gas vent

• Published in: International journal of greenhouse gas control Vol. 29; pp. 176 - 184
• Main Authors: Miera, Luis ESaenz de, Arroyo, Paula, Calabuig, Estanislao de Luis, Falagan, Jorge, Ansola, Gemma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-10-2014
• Subjects: Bacteria; Verrucomicrobia; Cameroon, Sud, Campo
• ISSN: 1750-5836
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2014.08.014

High-throughput sequencing was used to investigate the effects of CO sub(2) emissions on the composition and structure of soil bacterial communities. Soil from an area (La Sima, Campo de Calatrava) where CO sub(2) is released to the atmosphere from a naturally occurring gas vent venting structure. Soil samples were taken was sampled along a CO sub(2) gradient. Bacterial community richness and diversity notably decreased with increasing CO sub(2) flux. Bacterial community composition varied along the CO sub(2) gradient: as CO sub(2) flux increased, the relative abundance of Chloroflexi phylum increased, whereas the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Gemmatiomonadetes phyla decreased. Within the Chloroflexi phylum, OTUs related to the genera Thermogemmatispora, Ktedonobacter and Thermomicrobium dominated bacterial communities sampled in sites with the highest CO sub(2) flux. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that differences in bacterial communities were best explained by CO sub(2) flux. The geological storage of CO sub(2) has been proposed as a viable option for reducing anthropogenic CO sub(2) contributions to atmospheric pools in order to mitigate the climatic change. These results are useful to evaluate the risk of potential CO sub(2) leakages on ecosystems associated to geological storage of CO sub(2).