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Microbial mats promote surface water retention in proglacial streams.

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Title: Microbial mats promote surface water retention in proglacial streams.
Authors: Paccolat, Jonas1 (AUTHOR), de Anna, Pietro2 (AUTHOR), Lane, Stuart Nicholas3 (AUTHOR), Peter, Hannes Markus1 (AUTHOR), Battin, Tom1 (AUTHOR) tom.battin@epfl.ch
Source: Hydrology & Earth System Sciences. 2025, Vol. 29 Issue 24, p7201-7216. 16p.
Subject Terms: *Microbial mats, *Biofilms, *Ecological resilience, *Glacial drift, *Ecological succession, *Glacial melting, *Water storage, *River sediments
Abstract: The retreat of glaciers opens up large proglacial areas which become available for colonization and primary succession. Yet, factors that contribute to habitability during early succession in proglacial areas remain poorly understood. In proglacial streams, biofilms, which are matrix-enclosed microbial communities, colonize the streambed and grow into millimeter thick mats. Particularly in proglacial streams draining relatively flat and stable lateral terraces, these biofilms may augment habitability by reducing water scarcity through clogging of the streambed. To quantitatively address this phenomenon, we performed streamside flume experiments and conceived the idealized terrace model, which models stream length elongation as a function of microbially induced clogging, sediment hydraulic properties, stream roughness, slope, width and inflow. Significant stream elongation, and hence habitabilization, occurs when clogging suffices to induce unsaturated conditions below the streambed. Considering multiple terrace configurations with educated parameter bounds, we found a wide range of possible elongation, ranging from none to 100-fold. Sensitivity analysis suggests that sediment hydraulic properties mostly contribute to variability in stream elongation due to biofilm induced clogging. Taken together, we here show that microbial communities can significantly extend the habitability of proglacial stream ecosystems by inducing streambed clogging and retaining water. This is relevant in light of the rapid glacier retreat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 190715205
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Microbial mats promote surface water retention in proglacial streams.
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  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paccolat%2C+Jonas%22">Paccolat, Jonas</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22de Anna%2C+Pietro%22">de Anna, Pietro</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lane%2C+Stuart+Nicholas%22">Lane, Stuart Nicholas</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Peter%2C+Hannes+Markus%22">Peter, Hannes Markus</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Battin%2C+Tom%22">Battin, Tom</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> tom.battin@epfl.ch</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Hydrology+%26+Earth+System+Sciences%22">Hydrology & Earth System Sciences</searchLink>. 2025, Vol. 29 Issue 24, p7201-7216. 16p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Microbial+mats%22">Microbial mats</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biofilms%22">Biofilms</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecological+resilience%22">Ecological resilience</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Glacial+drift%22">Glacial drift</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ecological+succession%22">Ecological succession</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Glacial+melting%22">Glacial melting</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Water+storage%22">Water storage</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22River+sediments%22">River sediments</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The retreat of glaciers opens up large proglacial areas which become available for colonization and primary succession. Yet, factors that contribute to habitability during early succession in proglacial areas remain poorly understood. In proglacial streams, biofilms, which are matrix-enclosed microbial communities, colonize the streambed and grow into millimeter thick mats. Particularly in proglacial streams draining relatively flat and stable lateral terraces, these biofilms may augment habitability by reducing water scarcity through clogging of the streambed. To quantitatively address this phenomenon, we performed streamside flume experiments and conceived the idealized terrace model, which models stream length elongation as a function of microbially induced clogging, sediment hydraulic properties, stream roughness, slope, width and inflow. Significant stream elongation, and hence habitabilization, occurs when clogging suffices to induce unsaturated conditions below the streambed. Considering multiple terrace configurations with educated parameter bounds, we found a wide range of possible elongation, ranging from none to 100-fold. Sensitivity analysis suggests that sediment hydraulic properties mostly contribute to variability in stream elongation due to biofilm induced clogging. Taken together, we here show that microbial communities can significantly extend the habitability of proglacial stream ecosystems by inducing streambed clogging and retaining water. This is relevant in light of the rapid glacier retreat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=190715205
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.5194/hess-29-7201-2025
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 7201
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Microbial mats
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biofilms
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecological resilience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Glacial drift
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ecological succession
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Glacial melting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water storage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: River sediments
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Microbial mats promote surface water retention in proglacial streams.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Paccolat, Jonas
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            NameFull: de Anna, Pietro
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            NameFull: Lane, Stuart Nicholas
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            NameFull: Peter, Hannes Markus
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            NameFull: Battin, Tom
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            – D: 15
              M: 12
              Text: 2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
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            – TitleFull: Hydrology & Earth System Sciences
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