Bacterial communities changes in cryoconite on an alpine glacier

Cryoconite holes are small pits present on the glacier surface containing a fine-grained sediment on the bottom. They are a biologically active and protected microhabitat in the glacial ecosystem. In this study it has been studied the temporal variation of bacterial communities in crioconite holes on the Forni Glacier (Stelvio National Park, Italian Alps). The results showed a temporal trend characterized by a predominant autotrophic Cyanobacteria population in the first part of the ablation season, followed by an increasing in abundance of heteroptrophic Sphingobacteriales populations. Also some hole feature explained a fraction of the variation of bacterial communities, but less than temporal variation.