Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota reflect adaptation of cave-dwelling tadpoles to resource scarcity

Researchers studied the gut microbiota of cave-dwelling frog tadpoles that spend three to five years developing underground in resource-scarce conditions. They found that the cave dwellers harbored unique bacterial communities enriched in enzymes for breaking down plant fibers and producing short-chain fatty acids, potentially aiding nutrition under food scarcity. The study suggests that gut microbiota play a key role in helping organisms adapt to extreme, nutrient-limited environments.

2024 The ISME Journal 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Developmental Dynamics of the Gut Virome in Tibetan Pigs at High Altitude: A Metagenomic Perspective across Age Groups

Researchers profiled the gut virome of Tibetan pigs at high altitude using metagenomic sequencing, tracking viral community dynamics across different developmental stages. The study identified novel bacteriophages and found that gut viral diversity changed substantially with age, providing baseline data on virome development in this understudied livestock population.

2024 Viruses 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Occurrence in the European Common Frog (Rana temporaria) from Cottian Alps (Northwest Italy)

Adult European common frogs (Rana temporaria) from high-mountain sites in the Cottian Alps of northwest Italy were found to contain plastic particles in their gastrointestinal tracts, representing one of the first records of microplastic ingestion in this species from an alpine ecosystem. The study demonstrates that plastic contamination has penetrated even remote mountain amphibian populations far from direct human plastic sources.

2022 Diversity 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Habitat disturbance influences the skin microbiome of a rediscovered neotropical-montane frog

Researchers studied the skin bacteria of a rediscovered montane frog in disturbed versus undisturbed habitats, finding that habitat degradation caused more chaotic and variable microbial communities — a pattern called dysbiosis. On the positive side, frogs in disturbed areas had higher levels of bacteria that may protect against the deadly chytrid fungus Bd, suggesting the frog's microbiome may be adapting to coexist with the pathogen over decades.

2020 BMC Microbiology 57 citations
Article Tier 2

From the Mountain to the Valley: Drivers of Groundwater Prokaryotic Communities along an Alpine River Corridor

Researchers sampled river water and groundwater from 59 sites along a 300 km transect of the Mur River valley in Austria and Slovenia, finding that dispersal limitation drives microbial community assembly at high altitudes while homogeneous selection dominates in lowland aquifers, with land use being a key determinant of groundwater microbiome composition throughout.

2023 Microorganisms 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between the skin microbiome and MHC class II diversity in an amphibian

Researchers examined how genetic background and MHC class II diversity shape the skin microbiome of amphibians, finding that host genotype influences microbial community composition in ways that may affect disease resistance and environmental adaptation.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of gut fungal composition and structure of the yaks under different feeding models

Researchers compared the gut fungal communities of wild yaks, house-fed domestic yaks, and grazing domestic yaks on the Tibetan plateau. They found that wild and grazing yaks had significantly more diverse gut fungal communities than house-fed yaks, with the feeding model strongly influencing which fungal species thrived. The study suggests that natural grazing supports a richer gut microbiome in yaks compared to indoor feeding, with potential implications for animal health and digestion.

2023 Frontiers in Veterinary Science 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Different living environments drive deterministic microbial community assemblages in the gut of Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster)

Researchers found that captive and wild Alpine musk deer harbor significantly different gut microbial communities, with living environment being a deterministic factor in shaping microbial assembly and diversity in this endangered ruminant.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential risk of microplastics in plateau karst lakes: Insights from metagenomic analysis

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in remote alpine lakes on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, finding concentrations of 20 to 59 particles per liter in water and up to 997 particles per kilogram in sediments. Using metagenomic analysis, they discovered that microplastic surfaces harbored distinct microbial communities carrying antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. The study suggests that even pristine high-altitude ecosystems are affected by microplastic contamination with potential ecological risks.

2025 Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic responses of gut microbiota to agricultural and wildfire ash: insights from different amphibian developmental stages

Researchers studied how ash from wildfires and rice straw burning affects the gut bacteria and survival of frogs at different life stages. Wildfire ash significantly reduced tadpole survival and altered gut microbial communities differently than agricultural ash. The findings suggest that combustion byproducts in freshwater ecosystems may pose distinct risks to amphibians depending on the ash source and the animal's developmental stage.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Rare Bacteria Can Be Used as Ecological Indicators of Grassland Degradation

Researchers used full-length 16S rRNA sequencing to study bacterial communities across degraded grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding that rare bacterial taxa were more sensitive to grassland degradation and soil nutrient changes than abundant taxa, and that rare bacteria may serve as reliable ecological indicators of grassland health.

2023 Microorganisms 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between the skin microbiome and MHC class II diversity in an amphibian

Researchers examined the relationship between skin microbiome diversity and immune gene variation in moor frog populations across different geographic regions. The study found that bacterial community composition varied significantly between regions and was correlated with genetic diversity in immune-related MHC genes. These findings suggest that historical demographic events and immunogenetic variation jointly shape microbial communities on amphibian skin, with potential implications for disease susceptibility.

2023 Molecular Ecology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Linear responses of soil microbiomes, metagenomic and metabolomic functioning across ecosystems along water gradients in the Altai region, northwestern China

Researchers analyzed soil microbial communities, their genetic functions, and metabolic profiles across four ecosystems along a water gradient in the Altai region of China. Microbial diversity and carbon and nitrogen cycling functions increased linearly with soil moisture, demonstrating how hydrology shapes ecosystem-level microbial processes.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial Community Structure and Its Influencing Factors in Surface Sediments of the Nyang River in the Dry Season, China

Researchers analyzed bacterial community diversity in surface sediments of the Nyang River in Tibet using high-throughput sequencing, finding that climate warming and human activities along this plateau river have measurably shaped microbial composition and structure.

2023 Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Structural and Functional Characteristics of Soil Microbial Communities in Forest–Wetland Ecotones: A Case Study of the Lesser Khingan Mountains

Researchers examined soil microbial communities across a forest-to-wetland gradient in China's Lesser Khingan Mountains, comparing mixed forest, conifer forest, wetland edge, and natural wetland. Natural wetland soils harbored the most distinct bacterial communities, driven primarily by high organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus content.

2025 Life 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics on soil microbial assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality in the remote mountain: Altitude matters

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions at different altitudes on Changbai Mountain in China. They found that the effects of microplastics varied significantly with altitude, enhancing bacterial diversity in some zones while disrupting key nutrient cycling processes in others. The study demonstrates that even remote mountain ecosystems are not immune to the ecological impacts of microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the gastrointestinal tracts of the Caucasian toad and its habitat at Karagöl Lake, Türkiye

Researchers examined microplastic contamination in Caucasian toads and their lake habitat in a protected area of Turkey. They found that nearly half the toads contained microplastics in their digestive tracts, mainly fibers likely linked to textile and recreational activities. The study shows that even remote, high-altitude environments are not safe from microplastic pollution, underscoring the need for monitoring in amphibian habitats.

2025 Environmental Research Communications 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the Influence of Habitat Heterogeneity and Human Activities on the Distribution of Microbial Diversity in a High Elevation Drop River

This is a freshwater microbiology study characterizing bacterial diversity in the Huotong River across different land-use zones in China; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023 Diversity 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Alpine ponds as overlooked hotspots of microplastic hazards: Evidence from the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in alpine ponds on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau across zones of varying human activity, finding ubiquitous microplastic pollution (up to 594 items/L in water) that directly correlated with anthropogenic pressure, identifying high-altitude ponds as overlooked microplastic hotspots.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Ecological differentiation and assembly processes of abundant and rare bacterial subcommunities in karst groundwater

Researchers examined ecological differentiation between abundant and rare bacterial communities in karst groundwater in southwest China, revealing distinct assembly processes and environmental drivers that maintain ecosystem stability in these vulnerable aquifers.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 9 citations