CAREER:Exploring the Unknowns: Responses of Soil Microbial Communities to Increased Plant Functional Trait Diversity in Managed Ecosystems

土壤微生物是自然和农业生态系统的组成部分。我们操纵和管理土壤微生物丰度和多样性的能力可以提高生态系统为人类社会提供商品和服务的能力，如水净化、养分再生、食物、纤维和能源生产。然而，这种能力受到我们对地下微生物群落的复杂性及其与植物的联系以及整体生态系统功能的有限理解的限制。这项美国国家科学基金会职业基金的研究将调查植物多样性和土壤微生物群落之间的相互作用以及它们所进行的过程。这些包括植物物质分解、养分再生、碳保留和对大气气体的贡献。这个项目的研究和教育组成部分的协同性质将产生训练有素的人员，他们将有效地解决国家农业和环境的挑战和机遇。传播基于研究的信息将通过研究和教育提高公众对土壤生物健康、环境知识和农业进步的认识。该项目将扩大未被充分代表的群体（包括第一代大学毕业生）对科学的参与，并激发他们参与科学研究的兴趣。本研究解决了两个基本问题：(1)增加的地上生物多样性（以覆盖作物为模型研究系统）如何影响土壤微生物群落组成和与土壤生物地球化学过程相关的功能性状，这些过程是土壤健康和农业生态系统生产力和可持续性的基础；(2)能否理解土壤微生物多样性与农业生态系统功能之间的联系。整个生态系统的方法，从分子到生态系统水平，将应用尖端的实验技术，包括稳定同位素探测和宏基因组学，来研究微生物群的反应。这个项目将提高我们对植物、土壤、微生物和环境这四个生态系统主要组成部分之间相互作用的理解。该项目将解开植物如何通过其有机输入改变土壤微生物群落以及微生物生物量如何反过来通过调节土壤碳和养分循环影响植物性能的谜团。该项目的完成将推进我们对微生物群落与特定土壤功能（如养分保持、生物地球化学循环和植物残留物分解）之间关系的了解，以及如何控制微生物群落来指导对管理生态系统的生产力和可持续性至关重要的生物地球化学过程。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Soil microorganisms are integral components of natural and agricultural ecosystems. Our ability to manipulate and manage soil microbial abundance and diversity can improve the capacities of ecosystems to provide goods and services to human society, such as water purification, nutrient regeneration, food, fiber, and energy production. However, such ability is constrained by our limited understanding of the complexity of microbial communities below ground and their connections to plants, and overall ecosystem function. Research in this NSF CAREER grant will investigate the interaction between plant diversity and soil microbial communities and the processes that they carry out. These include plant matter decomposition, nutrient regeneration, carbon retention and contributions to atmospheric gases. The synergistic nature of research and educational components of this project will produce well-trained personnel who will work effectively to address the Nation's agricultural and environmental challenges and opportunities. Communication of research-based information will increase public awareness of soil biological health, environmental literacy and agricultural advancement via research and education. The project will broaden participation of underrepresented groups in science, including first-generation college graduates, and inspire their interests to participate in scientific research.This research addresses two fundamental questions: (1) how increased above ground biodiversity (using cover crops as a model study system) affects soil microbial community composition and functional traits related to soil biogeochemical processes that underpin soil health and agroecosystem productivity and sustainability; and (2) whether the linkages between soil microbial biodiversity and agroecosystem function can be understood. A whole ecosystem approach, ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem level, will be performed with the application of cutting-edge experimental techniques, including stable isotope probing and metagenomics, to investigate the response of microbiota. This project will improve our understanding of the interactions among plants, soil, microbes, and the environment, the four major components of ecosystems. The project will untangle the mystery of how plants modify soil microbial communities through their organic inputs and how microbial biomass, in turn, influences plant performance by regulating soil carbon and nutrient cycling. The completion of this project will advance our knowledge of the relationships between microbial communities and specific soil functions (e.g. nutrient retention, biogeochemical cycling and plant residue decomposition), as well as how microbial communities can be controlled to direct biogeochemical processes that are important to the productivity and sustainability of managed ecosystems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.