Trait-based life-history strategies study on complex bacterial communities ecosystem function and succession using 3-CA disturbance at varying frequencies for 35 days in sludge bioreactors

Frameworks for life-history strategies have been successfully applied to describe changes in plant and animal communities upon disturbance. To evaluate their applicability to complex bacterial communities, we operated replicated wastewater treatment bioreactors for 35 days and subjected them to eight different disturbance frequencies of a toxic pollutant (3-chloroaniline), starting with a mixed inoculum from a full-scale treatment plant.

Relevant ecosystem functions were tracked and microbial communities assessed through metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Combining a series of ordination, statistical and network analysis methods, we associated different life-history strategies with microbial communities across the disturbance range. These strategies were evaluated using tradeoffs in community function and genotypic potential, and changes in bacterial genus composition.