Latitudinal variations in leaf bacterial functions majorly affect the biomass production of a submerged macrophytes

Although microbial biogeography has been extensively explored in free-living communities, our understanding of the large-scale latitudinal diversity patterns of host-associated bacteria remained limited in freshwater ecosystems. To fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a field survey spanning a 2,800 km transect along a latitudinal gradient and explored the composition and structure of bacterial communities on the surfaces of Myriophyllum spicatum.