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DOE OSTI · 3673303

Microbial dispersal into surface soil is limited on a meter scale

Walters, Kendra·Barbour, Kristin (ORCID:0000000223756359)·Powers, John·Martiny, Jennifer
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Abstract

Abstract Dispersal shapes microbial communities, yet it is largely unknown how fast or how far free-living microorganisms move in the environment. Here, we deployed microbial traps along transects spanning a grassland and neighboring shrubland to quantify the rate and distance at which microorganisms disperse into the soil surface. We found that bacteria disperse at a similar rate across the two ecosystems, and both bacteria and fungi exhibit a signature of dispersal limitation at a meter scale, indicating highly heterogeneous dispersal of microorganisms into soil.

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Walters, Kendra, Barbour, Kristin (ORCID:0000000223756359), Powers, John, Martiny, Jennifer. 2025-01-01. Microbial dispersal into surface soil is limited on a meter scale. https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo%2Fwraf169

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