Pyrosequencing-Based Assessment of Bacterial Community Structure in Wuliangsuhai Wetland

Microorganisms play important biochemical and geochemical roles in the environments they inhabit. To understand structure and function of wetlands ecosystems, it is essential to identify primary drivers of microbial diversity and community structure. In this study, soil bacteria communities were profiled in Wuliangsuhai Wetland, a natural wetland located in western Inner Mongolia, China. Soils were surveyed to characterize the structure and diversity of its microbial communities using barcoded pyrosequencing based on the 16S rDNA. The most abundant bacterial groups in all four soils were the Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria. The results of this study provide new information regarding a previously uncharacterized wetland ecosystem and show the value of highthroughput sequencing in the study of wetland ecosystems.