Beta and alpha diversity patterns of different functional genes including polymerase beta-subunit (rpoB) as core gene and chitinases (chi), nitrate reductases (nirK) and genes involved into oxalate oxidation (frc) as metabolic marker genes. Beta diversity patterns of these genes were markedly different. Alpha diversity seemed to have little predictive significance in explaining the amount of beta diversity within a timeframe. In contrast we found a pronounced trend of increased gene variability covarying with increased beta diversity over the observation timeframe among the metabolic marker genes.

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