Microbial diversity and cyanobacteria species in disturbed and undisturbed peat swamp fores

Abstract

The adaptation of microorganisms in acidic, low nutrient and waterlogged conditions under heavy rainfall and high temperature is characterized as the uniqueness of peat swamp forest (PSF). However, fires in PSF could alter global carbon cycle and microbial diversity. Thus, this study aims to determi ne different microbial diversit that survive in disturbed and undisturbed PSF and cyanobacteria genera also is chosen as they are able to fix CO 2 and N 2 in extreme condition. Peat soils from disturbed PSF of Malaysia Airport Agriculture - Horticulture (MAAH) and undisturbed PSF of Raja Musa Peat Swamp Forest Reserved (RMPSFR) were analyzed by using next generation sequencing (NGS) and they were dominated by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria. However, cyanobacteria and unassigned diversity in disturbed PSF were higher compared to undisturbed PSF. Based on the NGS result, cyanobacteria from disturbed PSF was isolated on pH 7 M11 and BG 11 media and screened a t low pH (pH 3 to 7) M11 and BG 11 media by using natural condition in Malaysia. Based on sequencing, cyanoba cteria species from disturbed PSF were still unidentified and however all strains show resistant to pH 7 to pH 5 and none of them resist at pH 4 and 3.