Bacterial Biogeography of Large Rivers in the Mississippi River Basin

地理学研究的目的是确定物种在空间和时间上的分布模式和原因。 植物和动物地理学的研究可以追溯到几个世纪以前。 然而，微生物群落学的研究很少，这已经成为可能，只有通过现代分子技术来确定微生物的物种组成。 了解微生物群落学是必不可少的，因为细菌在所有生态系统中发挥着核心作用，从参与食物网到促进对营养循环和污染物去除至关重要的化学转化。 本计画将描述密西西比河流域的大型河流中微生物群落的地理分布，包括俄亥俄州、密苏里州、阿肯色州以及密西西比河上游与下游。 大型河流网络，如密西西比是宝贵的生态地理研究，因为每条河流反映了其独特的流域特征，导致栖息地的因素，可能会影响微生物组成和生态功能的显着变化。 该项目的一个主要目标是将生境因素与微生物物种组成及其生理功能联系起来，如在营养循环中重要的微生物酶的活性所示。 密西西比河流经美国41%的国土，但人们对生活在这条大河中的微生物的多样性知之甚少。 这项研究将提供新的科学认识的程度，原因和地理变化的组成和生理属性的细菌在这个伟大的河流网络的后果。 研究的空间尺度范围很广，跨越数百公里的不同流域。 该项目的一个更广泛的方面是其教育推广，其中包括与当地高中合作，提供关于河流及其流域的课程计划。 该项目还将加强本科生和研究生在河流科学研究方面的培训，并在密西西比大学开发一门新的创新课程，以密西西比河为重点，探讨文化、生态、生态系统管理和环境伦理之间的关系。

The goal of the study of biogeography is to determine patterns and causes for the distribution of species in space and time. Studies in plant and animal biogeography date back centuries. However, there are few studies of microbial biogeography, which have been made possible only by modern molecular techniques to determine microbial species composition. Understanding microbial biogeography is essential because of the central roles that bacteria play in all ecosystems, ranging from their involvement in food webs to their facilitation of chemical transformations critical to nutrient cycling and pollutant removal. This project will describe the biogeography of microbial communities in large rivers of the Mississippi River Basin, including the Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, and the Upper and Lower Mississippi Rivers. Large river networks such as the Mississippi are valuable for biogeographic study because each river reflects its distinct basin characteristics, resulting in pronounced variation in habitat factors that may influence microbial composition and ecological functions. A major objective of this project is to link habitat factors to microbial species composition and their physiological functions, as indicated by the activities of microbial enzymes important in nutrient cycling. The Mississippi River drains 41% of the conterminous United States, but little is known about the diversity of microbes inhabiting its large rivers. This study will provide new scientific understanding regarding the extent, causes, and consequences of geographic variation in composition and physiological attributes of bacteria across this great river network. The range in spatial scales of the research is vast, spanning hundreds of kilometers across different river basins. A broader aspect of this project is its educational outreach, which includes collaboration with local high schools to provide lesson plans on rivers and their watersheds. This project will also enhance training of undergraduate and graduate students in the scientific study of rivers, and develop a new, innovative course at the University of Mississippi that examines the relationships of culture, ecology, ecosystem management, and environmental ethics while focusing on the Mississippi River.