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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Conversion of the Amazon rainforest to agriculture results in biotic homogenization of soil bacterial communities

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Author(s):
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Rodrigues, Jorge L. M. [1] ; Pellizari, Vivian H. [2] ; Mueller, Rebecca [3] ; Baek, Kyunghwa [4] ; Jesus, Ederson da C. [5] ; Paula, Fabiana S. [2] ; Mirza, Babur [1] ; Hamaoui, Jr., George S. [4] ; Tsai, Siu Mui [6] ; Feigl, Brigitte [7] ; Tiedje, James M. [8] ; Bohannan, Brendan J. M. [3] ; Nuesslein, Klaus [4]
Total Authors: 13
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Texas Arlington, Dept Biol, Arlington, TX 76019 - USA
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Oceanog, BR-05508120 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Oregon, Inst Ecol & Evolut, Eugene, OR 97403 - USA
[4] Univ Massachusetts, Dept Microbiol, Amherst, MA 01003 - USA
[5] BR-23890000 Seropedica, RJ - Brazil
[6] Siu Mui Tsai, Embrapa Agrobiol, BR-23890000 Seropedica, RJ - Brazil
[7] Ctr Energia Nucl Agr, BR-13400970 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil
[8] Michigan State Univ, Ctr Microbial Ecol, E Lansing, MI 48824 - USA
Total Affiliations: 8
Document type: Journal article
Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; v. 110, n. 3, p. 988-993, JAN 15 2013.
Web of Science Citations: 164
Abstract

The Amazon rainforest is the Earth's largest reservoir of plant and animal diversity, and it has been subjected to especially high rates of land use change, primarily to cattle pasture. This conversion has had a strongly negative effect on biological diversity, reducing the number of plant and animal species and homogenizing communities. We report here that microbial biodiversity also responds strongly to conversion of the Amazon rainforest, but in a manner different from plants and animals. Local taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of soil bacteria increases after conversion, but communities become more similar across space. This homogenization is driven by the loss of forest soil bacteria with restricted ranges (endemics) and results in a net loss of diversity. This study shows homogenization of microbial communities in response to human activities. Given that soil microbes represent the majority of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems and are intimately involved in ecosystem functions, we argue that microbial biodiversity loss should be taken into account when assessing the impact of land use change in tropical forests. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 08/58114-3 - Monitoring the microbial diversity and functional activities in response to land-use changes and deforestation under soybean and sugarcane cultivations
Grantee:Tsai Siu Mui
Support Opportunities: Research Program on Global Climate Change - Thematic Grants