Analysis of the microbial diversity associated with the Lesotho highlands through culture-independent approaches
Date
2021
Authors
Patel, Jasmin Bharatkumar
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Abstract
Mountains are characterised by elevational gradients which exhibit dramatic changes in climate
and biotic turnover across short geographical distances and thus represent suitable natural
laboratories for the study of climate change. Studies relating to the impact of climatic factors
in montane (i.e. mountain) environments has mainly been focused on the response of vegetation
patterns in these environments, while little is known about the impact of these factors on soil
microbial diversity and community structure. This study looked at microbial community
structure on the warm north-facing slope, cold south-facing slope and summit plateau across a
mountain peak near Kotisephola Pass, Drakensberg Mountains, Lesotho.
In chapter 1, relevant literature relating to the project covering the various aspects of the
montane environment and its climate are reviewed. This includes the soil microbiota associated
with mountains and their response to abiotic and biotic factors associated with these
environments. Finally, the technological evolution of the study of microbial ecology and how
it can be applied to studying montane ecosystems are discussed.
Chapter 2 engages with the soil samples collected from field sites, genomic DNA extraction,
and amplicon sequencing that was performed of the bacterial (16S rRNA) and fungal (ITS)
cohort across the mountain transect. The resultant data were analysed in terms of the soil
microbiome structure, α- and β-diversity, and statistical analyses were undertaken to determine
the relationship between microbial diversity and factors such as slope aspect and elevation
across the mountain peak.
In chapter 3, an in-depth analysis of temperature data collected for the mountain peak was
undertaken, prior to statistical evaluation of the effects that the distinct microclimates across
the mountain summit have on bacterial and fungal diversity.
Finally, the implications of the study in terms of how it can contribute towards studying the
effects of global climate change are discussed and future perspectives for further studies are
provided
Description
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science to the Faculty of Science, School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021