Statistical Analysis 16S & WGS datasets: Alpha & Beta
diversity (PcoA), Differential Abundance & PERMANOVA
Various bacterial diversity metrics were employed for inferring the
structural aspects of the microbial community. The alpha
diversity was calculated to determine by Shannon index & Fisher’s
alpha, Chao richness and evenness (Figure 1A). The results of both16s
amplicon and shot gun metagenome demonstrated similar diversity patterns
at height H2 (Figure 1B). Other comparisons indicate major diversity
shifts at all heights. The rarefraction curve of all samples calculated
had reached a plateau, suggesting that the sequencing was deep enough at
phylum and genus levels (Figure 1C). Good’s coverage estimation revealed
80.3% to 91.0% species in all the samples.
Supervised PCA and CCA results (Figure 2), demonstrate separate clusters
(significant differential distribution of fecal microbiota at p = 0.05),
between altitudes H1 & H2 employing both 16s rRNA (Figure 2 Ai and Aii)
and WGS methods (Figure 2 Bi, Bii). Global microbial community
composition using Permutational Analysis of Multivariate Dispersions
(PERMDISP) 2 clustering, also indicated significant differential
distribution between H1 and H2 heights (Figure2Aiii&Biii), as well as
all four heights H1, H2, H3 and H4 (Figure 2 C & D).