Sedgwick Reserve

31 Dec, 04 PM - 29 Jan, 04 PM

Microbial communities are major contributors to soil carbon decomposition and stabilization and thus control much of the CO2 flux between the soil and the atmosphere. Plants are strongly associated with microbial community ecology. They alter soil temperature and moisture, and control soil carbon inputs and other nutrients. Therefore, plants should have strong influence on soil carbon dynamics. Understanding the microbial mechanisms in carbon cycling and how vegetation alters the microbial communities in carbon mineralization and storage is critical for effective global CO2 sequestration strategies. Hypothesis: Organic carbon inputs from vegetation directly affect the structure and carbon metabolic function of soil microbial communities, and thus their potential on carbon cycling. To determine how vegetation carbon inputs into the soil affect microbial carbon cycling, we propose to study microbial communities within the same soil type and under three vegetation types with different carbon quality and quantities: grasslands, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland. We will combine state-of-art high-throughput methods including metagenomic sequencing (for microbial identification and carbon metabolic pathway analysis) and metatranscriptome analysis (for gene expression analysis involved in carbon metabolic pathways) and traditional methods such as enzyme activity assay, carbon chemistry, and carbon respiration measurements. To validate the role of vegetation carbon inputs in shaping the microbial communities in the soil, we will also perform microcosm experiments. In these experiments soils will be maintained in an artificial environment and soil carbon, temperature, and moisture will be manipulated.

Visit #27277 @Sedgwick Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 23697 | Research

A metagenomic study of soil microbial community carbon cycling under various vegetation types

graduate_student - University of California, Los Angeles

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Emily Curd Dec 31, 2011 - Jan 29, 2012 (30 days)

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Day Use Only 1 Jan 1 - 30, 2012