Abstract
The microbial diversity of many ecosystems has recently been described but the question remains of the extent to which species and varieties develop and evolve within their particular environments. Altenatively, are they essentially ubiquitous, being more frequent in certain localities as a result of the conditions encountered? Is the distribution geographically structured, and/or influenced by other factors ? Using sourdough breadmaking ecosystems as a model and participatory research approach, we are analysing human influence on the dispersion and selection of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. In France, microbial diversity associated with bread-making has not been well-documented. Bread can be made by two kind of artisans, farmer-bakers and artisan-bakers. Both use sourdough to leaven the bread. Sourdough is a dough composed of wheat and rye flour, or only one of these two ingredients, water, possibly supplemented with salt and subjected to an acidifying natural fermentation, whose function is to ensure the dough raising Décret No. 93- 1074, 13 sept. 1993). This aim of this study was to describe diversity of microbial species in baker's sourdough (yeasts and lactic acid bacteria) and to understand the evolutionary process (dispersion, selection) that shape this diversity.