Analysis of the Structure of the Bacterial Community in the Livestock Manure-based Composting Process*

We investigated the structure of bacterial communities present in livestock manure-based composting processes and evaluated the bacterial succession during the composting processes. Compost samples were derived separately from swine manure, dairy manure and sewage sludge. The structure of the bacterial community was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) using universal eubacterial primers. The genus Bacillus and related genera were mainly detected following the thermophilic composting phase of swine and dairy manure composts, and the members of the phylum Bacteroidetes were mainly detected in the cattle manure waste-based and sewage sludge compost. We recovered and sequenced limited number of the bands; however, the PCR-DGGE analysis showed that predominant diversities during the composting processes were markedly changed. Although PCR-DGGE analysis revealed the presence of different phyla in the early stages of composting, the members of the phylum Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were observed to be one of the predominant phyla after the thermophilic phase. (