Community Structure Of Epiphytic Bacteria On Potamogeton Pectinatus And The Surrounding Bacterioplankton In Hongze Lake

Epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton affect the plant physiology and nutrient transformation of submerged macrophytes. The community structure of epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton is fundamental to understanding their ecological role and, in turn, the effect of macrophytes on bacteria. In this study we compared the composition of epiphytic bacteria in association with Potamogeton pectinatus, as well as that of the surrounding bacterioplankton at different growing stages of P. pectinatus. Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Actinobacteria were dominant groups in both epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton, yet there was a significant discrepancy in the community structure among different growing stages, and bacterioplankton exhibited higher diversity than epiphytic bacteria during the entire growing period. The relative abundance of most bacteria showed opposite trends between epiphytic bacteria and bacterioplankton. Further studies should focus on the underlying interactions between epiphytic bacteria and their host plants.