Bacterial Number and Genetic Diversity in a Permafrost Peatland. Metagenome of Permafrost bacteria and archaea in the peat core in region of western Siberia

Peat microorganisms are largely responsible for the processing of this organic carbon, yet coupled studies of chemical and bacterial parameters in permafrost peatlands are rather limited and geographically biased. Towards testing the possible impact of peat and peat pore water chemical composition on microbial population and diversity, here we present results of a preliminary study of the western Siberia permafrost peatland discontinuous permafrost zone. The quantitative evaluation of microorganisms and determination of microbial diversity along a 100 cm thick peat soil column, which included thawed and frozen peat and bottom mineral horizon, was performed by RT-PCR and 16S rRNA gene-based metagenomic analysis, respectively.Peat core samples were collected in the palsa peat bog at the watershed divide of the discontinuous permafrost zone near the Khanymey test site of the northern part of the West Siberian Lowland