Abundance, Taxonomic Structure, and Functions of Bacterial Communities of Heather Plants in Ombrotrophic Bogs

Abstract

Bacterial communities of the six Ericaceae bog plants were studied. The total number of bacteria on the vegetative organs of the Ericaceae plants was high and comparable to the one on Sphagnum mosses. Members of bacterial taxa colonizing both heather plants and Sphagnum mosses were identified. According to their 16S rRNA gene sequences, predominant bacteria of the epiphytic-saprotrophic complex were identified as Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Serratia, and Chryseobacterium species. The physiological diversity of the hydrolytic bacterial complex was significantly higher in the Ericaceae plants than in the Sphagnum mosses. Analysis of the taxonomic position and functions of identified bacteria indicated that the studied bacteria were capable of stimulating the growth of plants inhabiting ombotrophic bogs.