Soil Bacterial Community Along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Sumaco, a Stratovolcano in the Amazon Region

Our study is a pioneering exploration of the microbiome in the soil of the Sumaco stratovolcano and an assessment of the effects of an elevational gradient and related physicochemical soil parameters on richness and community structure. The Sumaco, as an isolated Amazonian stratovolcano, may be among one of the least studied ecosystems in Ecuador and perhaps the Amazon region. Universal patterns remain unresolved or available information inconclusive to establish a supported consensus on general governing processes by which elevation and its associated environmental gradients may determine the microbial richness and community structure. We tested a recent proposal on how microbial diversity…