Abstract
Natural ponds and constructed reservoirs (dugouts) provide essential water for agriculture, yet the effects of livestock disturbances on the freshwater microbial ecosystems remain underexplored. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was combined with water geochemistry analyses to examine the relative influence of livestock and geochemical variables on microbial communities in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the North American Great Plains. In undisturbed ponds, geochemical factors such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfate (SO42−) create strong selective pressures, creating distinct microbial communities specialized in carbon and sulfur cycling, leading to niche differentiation and the dominance of specific bacterial taxa. In contrast, livestock-induced disturbances like manure deposition and physical disruption increase within-pond spatial heterogeneity, weakening local geochemical control, while simultaneously reducing biodiversity and homogenizing communities across ponds despite underlying geochemical differences. One example of cattle-induced disturbances was their impact on relative abundances of multiple microorganisms such as Thiobacillus. Thiobacillus is a major contributor to sulfur cycling, converting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) into SO42− under aerobic conditions and contributing to sulfur sequestration by incorporating SO42− into biomass through assimilatory SO42− reduction. In ponds with cattle activities Thiobacillus relative abundance was decreased and the impact of SO42− and DOC was less prominent. Overall, this study showed that livestock disturbances disrupt local microbial community assembly and weaken the influence of geochemical selection in structuring pond-scale microbial diversity.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Institute of Environmental Change and Society ([DOC], Chl.a) and the Institute for Microbial Systems and Society (microbial work) at the University of Regina and the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan ([SO42-]), for laboratory analysis. We thank S. Jensen, J. Lerminiaux, J. Stewart, and E. Ennis, D. Bateson, D. Suchan, F. Khan, L. Tran, and C. Douglas for data collection and laboratory analysis. This work was partially supported by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Development Fund (#20200080), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Regina.Our research was conducted in Treaty 4 and 6 lands. These are the territories of the nêhiyawak (Cree), Anihšināpēk (Saulteaux), Dene, Dakota, Nakoda, Lakota, and the homeland of the Métis. We approach our work with respect for the Treaties, acknowledging the mistakes of the past and committing to moving forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in the spirit of truth, reconciliation, and collaboration.
Funding
This work was partially supported by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Development Fund (#20200080), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Regina.
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Zahir, Z., Mensah, M., Flaman, S.P. et al. Cattle-induced homogenization of microbial communities weakens the influence of geochemical gradients in small water bodies.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-55862-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-55862-6
Keywords
- Microbial community
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Livestock
Thiobacillus
- Prairie pothole region
Source: Ecology - nature.com
