Ecological Drfit

The purpose of this study was to detect and quantify ecological drift by studying simple bacterial communities growing under the same environment and without dispersal. Conclusion: We detect drift in ~19% and ~27% of the examined populations and communities, respectively, the latter being ~3% less similar compared to communities under no drift. Based on these results, we simulate complex communities under varying selection and dispersal conditions. We find that, under low dispersal rates and in fluctuating environments, drift leads rare taxa to extinction more frequently than when it is not present. Notes: In the single cultures of strain B42 with starting cell density of 1E+06 cells per ml, samples from time point 180 and on have been diluted 10-fold. We measured DI water samples and sterile LB samples to exclude particles and electrical noise.