This project is awarded under the Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships and Supporting Activities Program for 2006. Although the impacts of invasive species have been relatively well known, the mechanisms that result in those impacts have not. Soil microbial function could mediate the effect of invasive plants on ecosystems because microbes play key roles in plant nutrient uptake, particularly concerning the nitrogen cycle. However, such plant-microbe interactions have rarely been explored in the context of invasive species. Invasive plants produce large amounts of litter that can fuel microbes and thus affect the ecosystem functions they undertake. Furthermore, several invasive plants hybridize yielding genotypes that are more aggressive invaders than either parent. Yet correlations between different invasive genotypes and their effects on ecosystem processes have not been explored. In this project, I address the effect of Typha, an invasive plant capable of hybridizing, on the relationship between plant invasion success and nutrient dynamics. Specifically, I explore if the identity and diversity of soil microbial communities in areas with native vegetation are different from the ones in Typha-invaded zones, and if these microbial differences in turn mediate nitrogen cycling. Lastly, I address how the genetic makeup of the invading plant species affects soil microbial communities and the nutrient cycling functions they perform. Linking an invasive species with its impact and the mechanisms behind such impact will improve our understanding of ecological systems and also aid in generating better-informed management practices in more applied scenarios. This work will be done at Loyola University Chicago under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Tuchman.
The proposed project will provide me with exposure in two areas of ecology that will greatly diversify my training and enhance my career development: 1) addressing ecological questions at the ecosystem level, and 2) integrating a molecular component into ecological research. My goal is to become trained in the incorporation of molecular microbial methods into ecological research that addresses ecosystem-level questions. Specifically, my training goals are: 1) to become familiar with nutrient cycling processes at the ecosystem level, and 2) to explore techniques to address microbial diversity and identity using functional genes and DNA microarrays. I believe the integration of soil microbial identity through molecular techniques with microbial ecosystem function to be one of the most promising research venues that will provide a strong conceptual framework to answer pressing ecological questions. As a Hispanic female I hope to inspire other Hispanic women to undertake a career in science.
