Spatial distribution of bacterial communities in high-altitude freshwater wetland sediment

Sediment microorganisms play a crucial role in a variety of biogeochemical processes in freshwater eco- systems. The objective of the current study was to investi- gate the spatial distribution of sediment bacterial community structure in Luoshijiang Wetland, located in Yunnan-Kweichow Plateau (China). Wetland sediments at different sites and depths were collected. Clone library analysis indicates bacterial communities varied with both sampling site and sediment depth. A total of fourteen bac- terial phyla were identified in sediment samples, including Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Armatimo- nadetes, Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, Cyanobac- teria, Firmicutes, Gemmatimonadetes, Nitrospirae, Planctomycetes, Spirochaetes, and Verrucomicrobia. Pro- teobacteria (mainly Betaproteobacteria and Deltaproteo- bacteria) predominated in wetland sediments. Moreover, the proportions of Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadete, and Planctomycetes were significantly correlated with chemical properties.