Variations in sand physiochemical properties and bacterial communities
along an altitude gradient in the Taklimakan Desert
Abstract
The Taklimakan Desert is the largest desert in China and the
second-largest mobile desert in the world. It is characterized by an
increasing altitude gradient from north to south. In this study, a total
of 48 sand samples were collected in the Taklimakan Desert, and
variations in physicochemical parameters and bacterial communities in
the samples and the correlation between them were explored. The
bacterial community was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
The obtained taxonomic data revealed significant differences in the
relative abundance of bacterial communities and populations among the
samples. The predominant phyla were Actinobacteria, Firmicutes,
Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The abundance of Actinobacteria
increased gradually while that of Firmicutes decreased gradually with
the increase in altitude. At the genus level, the abundance of Bacillus
showed a gradual decrease while that of unclassified Micrococcaceae
showed a gradual increase. Altitude and pH were the primary factors that
shaped the bacterial communities in the desert. Besides, Ca2+ and P were
also significantly correlated with the abundance of bacterial
communities. The indicator taxa were significant differences in the
surface and the subsurface samples.