Disentangling bacterial diversity and biogeography in snow-covered regions

This study investigated the bacterial diversity of snow-inhabiting microbial communities across multiple geographic locations, including Antarctic and temperate regions. Using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene from Antarctic snow samples and comparisons with publicly available datasets from other cold regions worldwide, we assessed patterns of taxonomic diversity and the influence of geographic and environmental factors on snow bacterial communities. Our results revealed that bacterial communities from Martel Inlet (King George Island) exhibited lower diversity compared to other Antarctic sites, likely influenced by the geographic characteristics. In contrast, snow microbial communities from temperate regions such as Austria, Quebec, and Iceland showed higher diversity, potentially driven by overlapping environmental conditions including temperature range, snow dynamics, and seasonal variability. Network analyses revealed distinct interaction patterns among regions, with more dynamic and competitive microbial networks observed in Maritime Antarctic environments, while continental snow ecosystems exhibited more compartmentalized and stable network structures. Overall, our findings highlight the combined influence of geographic distance and environmental conditions in shaping microbial diversity and ecological interactions in snow ecosystems across different regions of the globe.