Microbial Communities

I.  Microbial Consortia
     A.  Niche concept
     B.  Guild concept
     C.  Examples - lichens

II.  Microbial Food Webs
  A.  Trophic Level Concept	
     B.  Microbial Loop Concept	
     C.  Effect of Viruses	
     D.  Linkage of Biogeochemical Cycles	
     E.  Modeling of Microbial Communities
          1.  batch cultures
          2.  turbidostat
          3.  chemostat
          4.  microcosms
          5.  mathematical models

III.  Development of Microbial Communities
  A.  Primary versus Secondary Succession
     B.  Examples
          1.  Primary succession
               a.  biofilm development
               b.  algal blooms
               c.  decomposing detritus
          2.  Secondary succession
               a.  succession on marine snow
               b.  scoured surfaces
     C.  Species Diversity
          1.  Methods to measures diversity
          2.  Stability versus diversity concept

IV.  Types of Microbial Communities
     A.  Aquatic
          1.  lakes and estuaries
               a.  surface films & neuston	
               b.  epilimnetic communities	
               c.  hypolimnetic communities
               d.  benthic nepheloid layer
               e.  sediment communties
                    · microbial mats
                    · stromatolites
                    · anoxic sediment	
                    · anoxic sediment
          2. rivers
          3.  marshes
          4.  marine systems 	
               a.  deep sea hydrothermal vents
               b.  marine snow
          5.  aquifers (Karst topography; Florida)

     B.  Terrestrial
          1.  soil systems 	
               a.  Poroshpere
                    · rhizosphere (eg., Rhizobium)
                    · aggregatusphere
               b.  Drilosphere
                    · detritusphere
               c.  soil crusts (cyanobacterial mucopolysaccharides0
               d.  antibiotic production
          2.  aerial plant parts (phyllosphere)
                a.  plant pathogens
                b.  saprophytes
                     · bacteria
                     · fungi
          3.  forests
               a.  macrofungi (biomass production and harvesting, biodeterioration, heavy metal 
                        contamination)
               b.  microfungi (mycorhizae)
               c.  plant surfaces
               d.  litter

    C.  Air (aerobiology)
          1.  "Life in the sky" is a fascinating concept but conclusive proof is lacking
          2.  Types of microbial life
               a.  bacterial cells and spores
               b.  fungal spores
               c.  viral particles
               d.  pathogens - Legionella
          3.  Becoming airborne
              a.  aerosol production
              b.  bubble bursting
              c.  air mass movements (winds, tornadoes, etc.)
              d.  coughing
              e.  heating and cooling towers
              f.  active spore release

     D.  Extreme Environments
          1.  Endolithic communities	
          2.  Deep subsurface communities
          3.  Hypersaline environments
          4.  Hydrothermal habitats	

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