Differential Bottom‐Up Control of Planktonic and Sedimentary Bacterial Communities by Phytoplankton and Extracellular Enzymes in an Asymmetric River Confluence

Bacterial community dynamics underlie ecosystem functioning in river networks, yet how different bacterial lifestyles respond to bottom-up biotic drivers under confluence-induced hydraulics remains unclear. Here, we quantified spatial heterogeneity in free-living (FL), particle-associated (PA) and sedimentary (S) bacterial assemblages, coupled with phytoplankton and extracellular enzyme profiles, at the Yellow River-Fenhe River confluence during the summer wet season. Clear habitat partitioning