River bedform migration shapes structural and functional colonization of incoming soil from bank erosion

Knowledge about the colonization of incoming bank soil into river sediments remains extremely limited. As fine sediment inputs rise, understanding the impact of incoming soil on river sediment biofilm activity and community structure is essential. Sediment transport, particularly in the form of migrating ripples, can influence colonization shifts and biofilm formation in soil-sediment mixes. Sediment and soil samples were collected from the Spree River and its banks in Germany in October 2021 to study these effects. Our study used a microcosm setup to study microbial community shifts in sediment-soil mixtures after a 12-day incubation under both migrating and stationary conditions.