ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiomes
Sec. Environmental Microbiomes
The prevalence and distribution of Acidobacteriota in the Nama Karoo of South Africa
Provisionally accepted
- 1Stellenbosch University Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- 2Stellenbosch University faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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The phylum Acidobacteriota is ubiquitous and a dominant bacterial group in arid lands, playing a crucial role in nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning. This study explores Acidobacteriota in Southern African arid lands through two complementary approaches. A meta-analysis of 240 soil samples revealed relative abundances ranging from 0.008% to 39.1%, with pH identified as the primary driver of community variance. In addition, 96 bulk soil samples from the Nama Karoo were analysed using full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V1–V9). Acidobacteriota abundance ranged from 2.3% to 12.2%, with Subdivisions 3, 4, and 6 being the most dominant, while rare subdivisions, such as 2 and 9, showed location-specific distributions. Significant beta-diversity differences (p = 0.002) were linked to soil moisture, electrical conductivity, and nitrate availability, and some subdivisions exhibited correlations with organic carbon and nitrate. Co-occurrence patterns with Planctomycetota and Armatimonadota suggest potential biofilm formation and shared ecological niches. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of Acidobacteriota in Southern African arid lands, highlighting dominant and rare subdivisions, localised ecological associations, and the need for future work on their metabolic functions and adaptive strategies in arid ecosystems.
Keywords: abiotic properties, Acidobacteriota, Acidobacteriota subdivisions, arid soils, Co-Occurrence, relativeabundance
Received: 25 Jun 2025; Accepted: 26 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Pieters, Conradie and Jacobs. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Janca Pieters
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