Rumen microbial community composition varies with diet and host, but a core microbiome is found across a wide geographical range

Ruminant livestock are important sources of human food and global greenhouse gas emissions. Feed degradation and methane formation by ruminants rely on metabolic interactions between rumen microbes and affect ruminant productivity. Rumen and camelid foregut microbial community composition was determined in 742 samples from 32 animal species and 35 countries, to estimate if this was influenced by diet, host species, or geography. Similar bacteria and archaea dominated in nearly all samples, while protozoal communities were more variable. The dominant bacteria are poorly characterised, but the methanogenic archaea are better known and highly conserved across the world. This universality and limited diversity…

• A
  AgResearch
• AN
  Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación
• MA
  Montana Agricultural Experiment Station

  Award: MONB00113
• RA
  Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division
• SG
  Scottish Government
• AG
  Australian Government
• NZ
  New Zealand Government
• SF
  Science Foundation Ireland

  Award: 09/RFP/GEN2447
• AL
  Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency
• FU
  Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
• CN
  Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
• RD
  Rural Development Administration

  Award: PJ010906
• JA
  Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS

  Awards: and P4-, P4-0097, J1-6732
• FD
  Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais
• PB
  Product Board Animal Feed
• IN
  Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
• SD
  Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación