Mangroves are dynamic and unique ecosystems that provide important ecological services to coastal areas. The phylloplane is one of the greatest microbial habitats, and most of its microorganisms are uncultivated under common laboratory conditions. Bacterial community structure of Laguncularia racemosa phylloplane, a well-adapted mangrove species with salt exudation at foliar levels, was accessed through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Sampling was performed in three different sites across a transect from upland to the seashore in a preserved mangrove forest located in the city of Cananéia, São Paulo State, Brazil. Higher bacterial diversity was observed in intermediary locations between the upland and the seashore, showing that significant intraspecific spatial variation in bacterial communities exists between a single host species with the selection of specific population between an environmental transect.
Keywords: Community structure; Epiphytic bacteria; Intraspecific variation; Mangroves.