Assessing the Effect of Urban Development on Microbial Biodiversity in an Urban Stream

Runoff from impervious land cover resulting from ever-increasing development can affect biodiversity and ecology of receiving waters. The aim of our work is to assess the influence of urban development on microbial activity and functional diversity in an aquatic ecosystem. Community-level physiological profiling is an effective method that can offer information on the soil microbial communities. We used this method to detect subtle changes in streamed microbial communities that can be caused by chemicals discarded in storm drains or street runoffs that can get into the streams or lake. Samples were taken along the stream between a lake and San Francisco Bay to analyze the diversity of the microbial communities in this urbanized watershed. Functional diversity along watercourse will be mapped using GIS software. Preliminary results showed that the metabolic diversity of the communities increased as the stream flows through urban areas. This analysis may provide a new perspective for evaluating the ecological conditions of streams and rivers.