Journal of Pollution Effects & Control
Open Access
ISSN: 2375-4397
ISSN: 2375-4397
Olapade OA
The Center for Sustainability and The Environment,
611 East Porter Street, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224
United States
Research Article
Biogeography and Community Diversity of Epilithic Bacterial Assemblages on Monuments: Comparisons between Maya Sites
Author(s): Olapade OAOlapade OA
Aims: Surfaces of cultural monuments are covered with diverse surface-associated microbial assemblages as a result of the substrata such as limestone that the monuments are constructed with as well as the impacts of various environmental pressures on these perpetually exposed structures over a long period. The aim of this study was to examine and compare the epilithic microbial assemblages on two Maya (i.e. Altun Ha and Xunanthunich) sites located in Belize. Methods and results: High-throughput 454 pyrosequencing approach was utilized to elucidate microbial community assemblages on two monuments. Overall, the taxonomic composition of the epilithic assemblages on both sites revealed the numerical dominance by members of the Proteobacteria at 43% and 36.9%, and the Cyanobacteria at 25.8% and 16.6% on Altun Ha and Xunanthunich, respectively. Comparatively, sequence diversity appeared mor.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2375-4397.1000176