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Harvard Forest Symposium Abstract 2011

  • Title: Directions and resources for long-term monitoring in soil microbial ecology using the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
  • Primary Author: Rachel Gallery (NEON, Inc)
  • Additional Authors: Kali Blevins (NEON, Inc.); Kathyrn Docherty (NEON, Inc); Rebecca Kao (NEON, Inc); Gary King (Louisiana State University); Patrick Travers (NEON, Inc)
  • Abstract:

    The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) is a continental-scale research platform for analyzing and understanding the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on ecology. Soil microbes (bacteria, archaea, and fungi) play key roles in many of the processes that constitute NEON's grand challenge areas (www.neoninc.org/science/overview). To better understand the biogeography of soil microbes, and the appropriate spatial and temporal scale over which to sample them, a prototype was designed to measure variability in microbial community composition within and among various eco-climatic regions over an annual cycle. The prototype focused on NEON domains that represent gradients in mean annual temperature and precipitation including Northeast (Domain 1, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts), Southeast (Domain 3, Florida), Central Plains (Domain 10, Colorado), Great Basin (Domain 15, Utah), Taiga (Domain 19, Alaska), and Pacific Tropical (Domain 20, Hawaii).



    Phylogenetic and functional gene analyses from archived soil core samples collected four times over an annual cycle are underway. Sequencing and analyses of 16S and 18S rRNA genes to identify soil bacterial, archaeal and fungal diversity and community structure will be generated through barcoded 454 pyrosequencing using titanium protocol. Results will determine whether communities cluster by eco-region and will resolve the spatial and temporal turnover in community structure. Concurrent analyses exploring functional nifH gene (for nitrogenase) abundance and soil biogeochemistry will help relate community composition with specific functions. NEON’s soil microbe sampling design includes considerations of metadata collection and standardization, sample archiving, and data quality control and assurance to capture long-term spatial and temporal trends in microbial communities. NEON is currently in the prototype and development stage, with plans to begin full operations in 2016. Quality assured raw and summary data will be fully annotated and openly available.

  • Research Category: Biodiversity Studies
    Large Experiments and Permanent Plot Studies