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Science 30 June 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5782, p. 1917
DOI: 10.1126/science.1124696
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Brevia

Bacterial Diversity in Tree Canopies of the Atlantic Forest

M. R. Lambais,1* D. E. Crowley,3* J. C. Cury,1 R. C. Büll,1 R. R. Rodrigues2

We found an extraordinary level of bacterial biodiversity in the tree leaf canopy of a tropical Atlantic forest by using culture-independent molecular methods. Our survey suggests that each tree species selects for a distinct microbial community. Analysis of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences revealed that about 97% of the bacteria were unknown species and that the phyllosphere of any one tree species carries at least 95 to 671 bacterial species. The tree canopies of tropical forests likely represent a large reservoir of unexplored microbial diversity.

1 Department of Soils and Soil Science, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
2 Department of Biological Sciences, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
3 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92591, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mlambais{at}esalq.usp.br (M.R.L.); crowley{at}ucr.edu (D.E.C.)

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