Microbial Community of Umkhei Thermal Lake (Baikal Rift Zone) in the Groundwater Discharge Zone

The diversity and functional activity of the microbial community of the bottom sediments and water of the thermal alkaline Umkhei Lake (Baikal Rift Zone), which was formed as a result of groundwater discharge, has been studied. The lake water is shown to be thermal hydrocarbonate–sulphate–sodium water of the Kuldur type. Lake sediments are characterized by higher temperatures and greater saturation with microelements. A comparative analysis of the species abundance of the microbial community of water and bottom sediments shows high indices of diversity in all layers of sediments, while the diversity in water is low. An analysis of taxonomic diversity reveals the predominance of the members of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi phyla in the community of water and bottom sediments. The presence of bacteria with various metabolic pathways of substance and energy transformation in both production and destruction processes is determined. The sequences belonging to the genus Hydrogenophaga (class β-Proteobacteria, phylum Proteobacteria), which is an indicator of the deep geochemical processes of hydrogen production, are found in the bottom layers of sediments. The rates of microbial processes of photosynthesis, dark assimilation of CO₂, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis are determined to characterize the functional activity. The main part of the organic-matter production in water is found to be formed as a result of the activity of chemolithoautotrophic prokaryotes. In the microbial community, the producers synthesize organic matter using volcanogenic carbon dioxide enriched in the heavy isotope (δ¹³C). An analysis of the rates of terminal processes indicates that sulfate reduction is the main process.