MO: Kartchner Caverns: Habitat Scale Community Structure and Function in Carbonate Caves

MO：卡奇纳洞穴：碳酸盐岩洞穴的栖息地规模群落结构和功能

• 批准号: 0604300
• 负责人: Raina Maier
• 金额: $ 159.99万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-10-01 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0604300&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MO; Kartchner; Caverns; Habitat; Scale

The subject of this NSF Microbial Observatory (MO) is Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona, one of the top ten carbonate caves in the world in terms of mineral and cave formation diversity. Until they are discovered, underground caves are ancient, fragile, nutrient-poor, and isolated systems with little or no connection to surrounding environments. Upon discovery and without proper management, damage to these systems can be irreversible. Scientifically, caves are of interest because it is likely they harbor undiscovered and novel microorganisms and because these insulated systems are devoid of light, and may harbor unique microbial activities as well. For the general public, caves harbor fascinating and beautiful formations that generate interest in science and the preservation of unique and fragile ecosystems. The objectives of the Kartchner Caverns MO are: 1) to identify novel organisms associated with different parts of the cave including formations, walls, and mud using both culture methods and advanced molecular tools to analyze DNA signatures, 2) to construct a complete DNA (metagenomic) library and database for correlating specific DNA sequences with microbial activities in the cave environment (e.g., participation in creating the formations), 3) to examine how microbial communities change across defined carbon gradients in the cave to help define how tourism, which brings in substantial amounts of extra organic carbon (e.g., lint, hair, skin cells), has impacted the cave, and 4) to analyze soap-like molecules (biosurfactants) produced by formation-associated microorganisms and incorporate their contributions into modeling the growth process of the formations. Fundamental understanding of the biology of cave systems, in general, is lacking. This is a major impediment to sustainable public development of these unique and delicate ecosystems. Thus, the scope of this research is both timely and comprehensive in regard to the study of cave microbial diversity. The broader impacts of this project include the establishment of both microbial and DNA (metagenomic) libraries that will comprise the most detailed, surface-specific cave collections to date. These libraries will provide insights into the selective forces that drive the microbial biology of subterranean nutrient-deprived existence. The libraries will also be made widely available for screening and data mining for biotechnological and biomedical applications. The studies along various gradients (inorganic and organic carbon) will provide insight into how environmental factors impact the associated microbial communities and the attendant health and stability of the cave system. Finally, the integration of biosurfactant production into models of formation development represents one of the first efforts to understand microbial contributions to formation growth. In summary, this MO will establish a world-wide resource for the advancement of contemporary research on cave microbiology and provide valuable tools for the global preservation of caves and cave formations. The broader impacts of this MO go far beyond research. Educational impacts include training of post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students to prepare a new generation of scientists in modern microbiological methods to address contemporary challenges in cave conservation and microbial diversity in other fragile, unique environments. Outreach efforts will impact several hundred thousand people per year and include: (i) an annual Kartchner Caverns lecture series for Park personnel and docents to provide a microbiology background and an update on project progress and findings which will then be passed on to Park visitors (~200,000/year), (ii) a high-quality interactive display for the Kartchner Educational Center to provide Park visitors a unique opportunity to learn about cave microbiology, the MO, and recent findings, (iii) production of a high-definition DVD by the University of Arizona nationally acclaimed PBS affiliate, KUAT, that highlights the MO project and its role in understanding microbial diversity in Kartchner Caverns, (iv) development of a module for Arizona State Parks educational curriculum that is targeted at grades 7-12, and (v) a Kartchner Caverns MO website with reciprocal links to the Kartchner Caverns website and the Friends of Kartchner Cavern website (together, these websites receive over 50K hits monthly).

这个NSF微生物观测站(MO)的研究对象是亚利桑那州本森的卡奇纳洞穴，就矿物和洞穴形成的多样性而言，它是世界上十大碳酸盐洞穴之一。在被发现之前，地下洞穴是古老的、脆弱的、缺乏营养的、孤立的系统，与周围环境很少或根本没有联系。一旦发现，如果没有适当的管理，对这些系统的破坏可能是不可逆转的。从科学上讲，洞穴之所以令人感兴趣，是因为它们可能蕴藏着未被发现的新奇微生物，而且这些绝缘系统没有光线，也可能蕴藏着独特的微生物活动。对于普通公众来说，洞穴中蕴藏着迷人而美丽的构造，这些构造激发了人们对科学和保护独特而脆弱的生态系统的兴趣。Kartchner Cverns MO的目标是：1)使用培养方法和先进的分子工具来分析DNA签名，以识别与洞穴不同部分(包括地层、洞壁和泥土)相关的新生物；2)构建完整的DNA(元基因组)文库和数据库，用于将特定DNA序列与洞穴环境中的微生物活动(例如，参与创建洞穴)相关联；3)研究微生物群落如何在洞穴中定义的碳梯度上变化，以帮助确定旅游业带来大量额外有机碳(例如皮棉、毛发、皮肤细胞)如何影响洞穴，4)分析由地层相关微生物产生的类皂分子(生物表面活性剂)，并将它们的贡献纳入地层生长过程的模拟中。总的来说，对洞穴系统的生物学缺乏基本的了解。这是这些独特而脆弱的生态系统可持续公共发展的主要障碍。因此，就洞穴微生物多样性的研究而言，这项研究的范围既及时又全面。该项目的更广泛影响包括建立微生物和DNA(元基因组)文库，这些文库将包括迄今为止最详细的、特定于地表的洞穴收藏。这些文库将提供对驱动地下营养匮乏存在的微生物生物学的选择性力量的洞察。这些文库还将广泛用于生物技术和生物医学应用的筛选和数据挖掘。沿着不同梯度(无机和有机碳)进行的研究将深入了解环境因素如何影响相关的微生物群落以及伴随而来的洞穴系统的健康和稳定。最后，将生物表面活性剂生产整合到地层发育模型中，是了解微生物对地层生长的贡献的第一批努力之一。总之，这项研究将为当代洞穴微生物学研究的发展建立一个世界范围的资源，并为洞穴和洞穴结构的全球保护提供有价值的工具。这一行动的更广泛影响远远超出了研究的范围。教育影响包括对博士后、研究生和本科生进行培训，使新一代科学家在现代微生物学方法方面做好准备，以应对当代在其他脆弱、独特环境中的洞穴保护和微生物多样性方面的挑战。推广工作每年将影响数十万人，包括：(I)每年为公园工作人员和讲解员举办一次Kartchner洞穴讲座系列，以提供微生物学背景以及项目进展和研究结果的最新情况，然后将传递给公园游客(约200,000人/年)；(Ii)为Kartchner教育中心提供高质量的互动展示，为公园游客提供一个独特的机会，了解洞穴微生物学、MO和最近的发现；(Iii)由亚利桑那大学全国知名的PBS附属机构Kuat制作高清晰度DVD，突出MO项目及其在了解Kartchner Caverns微生物多样性方面的作用(Iv)为亚利桑那州立公园开发一个针对7-12年级的教育课程单元，以及(V)一个Kartchner洞穴管理网站，该网站具有与Kartchner洞穴网站和Kartchner洞穴之友网站的互连(这两个网站每月的点击量合计超过50000次)。