Soil Algae Genotypic Community Composition Across Wheat Growth Season and Farming Systems

A metabarcoding pilot study by Stefan Barthel tracks changes in soil algal diversity across three time points in a wheat growth season under conventional and organic farming. The data includes 118 eukaryotic algal genera and reveals distinct seasonal distribution patterns for Chlorophyta and Stramenopiles genotypes. The dataset, last updated in April 2026, is a 549.5 KB PDF file shared under a CC-BY-4.0 license.

Use Cases

• Model seasonal shifts in algal community composition based on temperature and bare-soil availability patterns described in the study.
• Compare the effects of conventional versus organic farming systems on algal biomass and ASV richness for specific taxonomic groups.
• Analyze the influence of crop type (e.g., Zea mays) on the diversity of algal classes like Chlorophyceae and Cyanobacteria.

Strengths

• Data covers three principal time points (March, July, November) during a wheat growth season, capturing seasonal dynamics.
• Analysis includes multiple taxonomic groups: Chlorophyta, Stramenopiles (Xanthophyceae, Diatomeae), and Cyanobacteria.
• Compares two distinct farming systems (conventional and organic) and notes the effect of a second crop (Zea mays).

Limitations

• Row count and column-level documentation are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is a 549.5 KB PDF, suggesting a limited scope as a pilot study; underlying raw data may not be included.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality and structure require manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Stefan Barthel.

Collection Method

Metabarcoding analysis based on amplicons from multiple genetic markers (e.g., 23S UPA, 18S, ITS2, rbcL).

Time Range

Covers three time points (March, July, November) during a wheat growth season.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 05:26:16; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely Central European arable land, inferred from the description of typical winter cereal agricultural practices.