Fig. 3: Bacterial diversity and Tes homolog presence in surface sediments.

The top 50 most abundant bacterial species at the family level were identified in surface sediments from the Tibetan Plateau. The two clusters were identified using the brGMM-BAE model, based on the MBT′5Me and IR values of each sample. The leftmost section of the figure employs a binary color scheme to denote the presence (black) or absence (white) of Tes homolog genes within these taxa, providing insights into the genetic traits and potential metabolic capabilities of the microbial communities in these sediments. A color bar along the side labels each species by its corresponding phylum. The heatmap shows the relative abundance of bacteria at the family level.