Effects of Temperature Increase on Microbiome of Carnivorous Plant

Climate change can have a direct impact on the decomposition of organic matter, as well as indirect effects on peatland vegetation (including carnivorous plants) and the microbial communities associated with this environment. The activity of microbes varies depending on the type of peatland they inhabit. Because some microorganisms are highly sensitive, they can be used as indicators of climate change. However, there is still little knowledge of how changes in the temperature of the environment can affect the microbiome of carnivorous plants. The study was conducted to test the following hypotheses: (1) The effect of rising water temperature on the qualitative and quantitative structure of the microbiome of carnivorous peatland plants depends on the type of peatland; (2) habitats with a higher trophic status stimulate the development of microbial communities in the water, but are an unfavourable habitat for the development of the microbiome of plant traps. Irrespective of the type of peatland, the species richness of microorganisms was much higher in the water than in the traps. As the temperature increased, there was an increase in the abundance of bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates, and testate amoebae, which was much more pronounced in the peat bog than in the carbonate fen.