Collaborative Research: MSB: Links Between Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Community Dynamics Along Recently Deglaciated Chronosequences

研究植物群落如何聚集和转移的景观所创造的冰川消退已在发展的理论基础的养分循环，有机体相互作用，并在面对环境变化的社区动态不可或缺。事实上，这些“年轻”（地质学上）系统的相对简单性揭示了生态系统结构和功能的模式，这些模式通常也适用于广泛的更古老，更复杂的环境。 虽然土壤微生物调节营养循环反应具有区域到全球的重要性，但对这些群落如何聚集在一起并随着时间的推移而变化没有类似的理解。这项工作将解决三个假设，涉及微生物群落结构和土壤养分状况在新的冰川消退的网站在三个地理，地质和气候不同的位置（阿拉斯加，秘鲁和蒙大拿州）。一系列技术，包括高通量DNA测序和生物信息学，微生物过程测量和现场操作的新开发的方法将在三个不同的地点复制，并旨在揭示广泛适用的模式，管理早期微生物群落的发展。该项目将支持三名研究生和两名本科生，包括扩大阿拉斯加东南大学阿拉斯加土著人的参与。 此外，生态系统科学的学习将扩大到一所高中，为"处于危险之中"的学生和来自科学领域代表性不足群体的学生提供服务，方法是开发一门新课程，利用最近冰川消退的土壤作为模型系统，让学生了解营养循环与生物多样性之间的关系。PI还将与美国林务局在门登霍尔游客中心的工作人员密切合作，将该项目的成果纳入解释方案和展示。

Studies of how plant communities assemble and shift on landscapes created by receding glaciers have been integral in developing the theoretical bases of nutrient cycling, organismal interactions, and community dynamics in the face of environmental change. Indeed, the relative simplicity of these 'young' (geologically speaking) systems has revealed patterns in ecosystem structure and function that often also apply across a wide range of older, more complex environments. Although soil microorganisms regulate nutrient cycling reactions with regional to global importance, there is no parallel understanding of how these communities come together and change through time. This work will address three hypotheses which relate microbial community structure and soil nutrient status across newly deglaciated sites in three geographically, geologically and climatically disparate locations (Alaska, Peru and Montana). An array of techniques, including newly developed methods in high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, microbial process measurements, and field manipulations will be replicated at the three different sites, and are designed to reveal broadly applicable patterns that govern early microbial community development. The project will support three graduate and two undergraduate students, including broadening participation from Native Alaskans at the University of Alaska, Southeast. Additionally, ecosystem science learning will be extended to a high school that serves "at risk" students, and students from underrepresented groups in science, by developing a new course using recently deglaciated soils as model systems for students to understand the relationships between nutrient cycling and biodiversity. The PIs will also work closely with the United States Forest Service staff at the Mendenhall Visitor Center to integrate the results of this project into interpretive programs and displays.