Samples taken from the full-scale and lab-scale anaerobic digesters feeding with different organic solid waste were investigated with assessment of the substrate effects. To understand the substrate effects on the microbial community diversity, heterogeneity, and functional structure, twelve samples were analyzed by constructing 16S rRNA gene clone libraries and statistical analysis. Microbial diversity varied according to substrate types and operating parameters. With acetoclastic methanogen of genus Methanosaeta predominated in full scale and Methanosarcina predominated in the lab-scale digesters, a significant difference archaeal communities were found. Principal component analysis clearly indicates that both bacterial and archaeal communities create independent clusters according to substrate types. However, the relationship between acetogenic bacteria and the acetoclastic methanogens had a similar variation tends in most of full-scale and lab-scale reactors. Canonical correlation analysis and variance partitioning analysis implied that bacterial and archaeal community variations were significantly affected by substrate and the operation conditions. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.