Collaborative Research: Microbiome mediation of multi-trophic interactions in a tree diversity experiment

合作研究：树木多样性实验中多营养相互作用的微生物组介导

• 批准号: 2315989
• 负责人: Eric Griffin
• 金额: $ 16.62万
• 依托单位: Warren Wilson College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-11-01 至 2025-05-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2315989&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Microbiome; mediation; multi

Sometimes referred to as the great unseen, plant-associated bacteria and fungi are hidden yet potentially pivotal components of ecosystems. Although the global leaf surface area is more than double the surface area of the earth, the drivers and functions of leaf microbes are still mostly unknown, particularly for trees. Because forests provide ecosystem services to humans, including climate mitigation, timber production, nutrient retention, water filtration, and habitat for diverse plants and animals, understanding the role of plant-associated microbes in forests is critical. Forests that house a diverse mixture of many tree species may be more productive than stands with only a single tree species, in part because of their interactions with microbes. However, natural forests are losing diversity worldwide, and nearly all forest plantations and restorations are planted as single species stands. This research project explores the value of forest biodiversity, including trees and their associated microbes, by linking the effects of tree diversity to leaf chemistry and the associated communities of leaf microbes, root microbes, and insects. By determining whether and how tree and microbial diversity affects important ecological functions like tree productivity, this project will help determine best practices for sustainable forests and silvicultural plantations. Additional project impacts include engagement with invested stakeholders through workshops, the development of a field-based “Bugs and Microbiomes” educational module, and training opportunities for undergraduate interns, graduate students, and post-doctoral researchers.The overarching goal of this project is to predict the effects of microbes on tree productivity during the critical canopy closure stage of forest establishment. Researchers will utilize a large scale (32 acres) tree biodiversity experiment established in 2013 in Edgewater, Maryland, USA. Specifically, the project will track how tree species diversity affects above and belowground microbial diversity, while simultaneously characterizing leaf chemistry, insect communities and damage, and tree productivity. Targeted laboratory experiments will further determine the strength and directionality of the relationships observed under field conditions. Finally, a quantitative modeling approach will be used to link project components to determine their individual and combined effects on tree productivity. The results will provide a model for understanding how changes in multiple components of plant diversity ultimately influence plant productivity over time.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.

与植物相关的细菌和真菌有时被称为看不见的伟大生物，它们是生态系统中隐藏但潜在的关键组成部分。尽管全球的叶子表面积是地球表面积的两倍多，但叶子微生物的驱动因素和功能仍然是未知的，特别是对于树木。由于森林为人类提供生态系统服务，包括减缓气候变化、木材生产、养分保持、水过滤以及多种动植物的栖息地，因此了解与植物相关的微生物在森林中的作用至关重要。拥有多种树种的森林可能比只有一种树种的森林更有生产力，部分原因是它们与微生物的相互作用。然而，世界范围内的天然林正在失去多样性，几乎所有的人工林和恢复林都是作为单一树种种植的。本研究项目通过将树木多样性的影响与叶片化学以及叶片微生物、根系微生物和昆虫的相关群落联系起来，探索森林生物多样性的价值，包括树木及其相关微生物。通过确定树木和微生物多样性是否以及如何影响树木生产力等重要生态功能，该项目将有助于确定可持续森林和造林的最佳做法。项目的其他影响包括通过研讨会与投资利益相关者进行接触，开发基于实地的“细菌和微生物组”教育模块，以及为本科生实习生、研究生和博士后研究人员提供培训机会。该项目的总体目标是预测在森林建立的关键冠层闭合阶段微生物对树木生产力的影响。研究人员将利用2013年在美国马里兰州埃奇沃特建立的大规模（32英亩）树木生物多样性实验。具体来说，该项目将跟踪树木物种多样性如何影响地上和地下微生物多样性，同时描述叶片化学、昆虫群落和损害以及树木生产力。有针对性的实验室实验将进一步确定在现场条件下观察到的关系的强度和方向性。最后，将使用定量建模方法将项目组成部分联系起来，以确定它们对树木生产力的个别和综合影响。研究结果将为理解植物多样性多个组成部分的变化如何最终影响植物生产力提供一个模型。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。