Over the last decade, sequencing of DNA (metagenomics) and RNA (metatranscriptomics) has exponentially expanded our knowledge of virus diversity. For the past decade National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has been collecting and archiving soil samples in the Quabbin Reservoir Watershed, including the Harvard Forest, and at other sites across the US. The NEON data will continue to grow through yearly sampling and metagenomic sequencing over the next two decades. My lab’s goal is to identify novel and emerging viruses in this region and identify host and climatic factors associated with changes in viral abundance. To meet our goal, we will complete the following specific objectives: 1) Determine the spatial distribution of DNA viruses from metagenomes at NEON Quabbin sites in the context of viral species from other U.S. NEON sites. 2) Identify novel and emerging DNA viruses in Quabbin sites and associated climatic factors across in a 10-year time series. 3) Determine spatial and temporal variation in RNA viruses at Quabbin sites over a 3-year window.