Dissertation Research: Seasonal Changes in Biomass and Diversity of Microbes in an Extreme Environment

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0105165 Schmidt/Ley Dissertation Research: Seasonal changes in biomass and diversity of microbes in an extreme environment Life in the soils of high elevation talus slopes is microbial. Like soils of polar deserts, high elevation talus slopes are characterized by cold temperatures, extremely low humidity, little liquid water, high light and UV-B levels, and extreme temperature cycling across the freezing point. What controls microbial production and biomass? Early findings by the PI and graduate student Ruth Ley have shown that the microbial ecology of this system is exceedingly complex, and is characterized by seasonal variations in bacterial and fungal assemblages. These intriguing findings have raised the possibility that very different suites of organisms comprise these groups. To investigate this possibility, the PIs will apply molecular analyses to the techniques used to estimate microbial functional group biomass. This study will contribute to the field of microbial ecology in extreme environments, and also to elucidating the environmental roles of microbial groups about which little is known.