Shifts in bacterial community composition and functional traits post-deglaciation of Gangotri glacier, Himalaya

Climate change causes an unprecedented increase in glacial retreats across the globe. The melting ice exposes land for encroachment and diversification of bacterial communities promoting soil and vegetation development, thereby changing the ecosystem's functioning. Although studies have focused on macro-level deglaciation impacts, little is known about invasion and succession of bacterial community post deglaciation. Here, we provide meta-barcoding-based insight into bacterial community composition and their functional attributes across different retreating periods of Gangotri glacier in Himalaya. The findings of this study indicate that the bacterial communities inhabit, diversify and develop specialised functions post-deglaciation leading to nutrient inputs to soil and vegetation development, which may provide feedback to climate change.