FORFUS-RT1.2
Forest soil drought and soil microbial diversity, physiology and carbon persistence
Inspiration
Drought changes plant carbon (C) inputs and microbial C cycling; it consistently increases tree root C exudates and alters multiple soil microbial community traits that influence C cycling. Persistent forest soil C contains a large proportion of microbial necromass, especially fungal necromass, and the size and stability of these necromass contributions is determined by tree C inputs, microbial physiology and necromass and tree root spatial interactions with soil minerals. It is unclear how drought-induced changes to tree root C inputs and root architecture will influence the microbial mechanisms that control long-term soil C persistence.
Innovation
The objectives of FORFUS-RT1.2 are to (a) characterize how drought influences tree root architecture and C release, and forest soil microbial diversity, microbial biomass C turnover, and necromass C persistence; and (b) investigate how drought influences the life strategies and traits of fungi that drive interactions with tree roots, reactive soil minerals and fungal necromass persistence. The doctoral candidate will leverage LIST's extensive network of monitoring sites and a new rain exclusion experiment.
This project will use passive rain shelters to impose soil drought. Microbial diversity, physiology and traits may be assessed during drought and rewetting cycles (in the field and in the laboratory), using metabarcoding, metagenomics and DNA-stable isotope probing. Microbial physiology and necromass carbon persistence may be determined with stable isotope incubations with native fungal necromass. The relative contribution of microbial necromass and root exudates to persistent soil organic matter may be developed using several GC-MS techniques. Root exudates and architecture changes will be investigated in collaboration with the University of Tartu.
Impact
The scientific knowledge generated in this project will help identify drought impacts on forest soil C and the microbial-root-mineral interactions that influence this persistence. The understanding and methods developed as part of the project are expected to be useful for similar studies at different sites around the world, to strengthen our ability to understand, anticipate and ultimately prevent drought-related forest decay.
Research domains
- Environment
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Partners
- University of Naples (IT)
- Center for International Climate Research
- Sapienza University Rome (IT)
- Administration de la nature et des forêts (LU)
- University of Luxembourg (LU)
- Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LU)
- National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (LU)
- Musée national d'histoire naturelle Luxembourg
- Groupement des Sylviculteurs a.s.b.l (LU)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SWE)
- Ville de Luxembourg
- Université Catholique de Louvain (BE)
- INRAE (FR)
- University of Tartu (EE)
- University of Edinburgh (UK)
- University of Trier (DE)
- Technical University Delft (NL)
- Wageningen University (NL)
- The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
- University Göttingen (DE)
- University of Agriculture Krakow (PL)
- BOKU (AT)
Financial Support
Contact
Further information
About Kate Buckeridge
Kate Buckeridge is a soil microbiologist and senior researcher. Her focus is on agricultural soil microbiology and the microbial response to global change and management as it influences nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. She also works in other terrestrial ecosystems (tundra, forests, drylands).
She is responsible for writing or contributing to new research proposals, managing/carrying out lab and field experiments, and writing manuscripts.In addition, Kate Buckeridge is an equipment manager for a new greenhouse gas analyzer (gas chromatograph) and future elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometer.
Skill & Expertise
- Project and experimental design and management
- Soil microbial ecology
- Terrestrial biogeochemistry (carbon and nutrient cycling)
- Stable isotope ecology
- Soil carbon sequestration