Studies of how plant communities assemble and shift on landscapes created by receding glaciers have been integral in developing the theoretical bases of nutrient cycling, organismal interactions, and community dynamics in the face of environmental change. Indeed, the relative simplicity of these 'young' (geologically speaking) systems has revealed patterns in ecosystem structure and function that often also apply across a wide range of older, more complex environments. Although soil microorganisms regulate nutrient cycling reactions with regional to global importance, there is no parallel understanding of how these communities come together and change through time. This work will address three hypotheses which relate microbial community structure and soil nutrient status across newly deglaciated sites in three geographically, geologically and climatically disparate locations (Alaska, Peru and Montana). An array of techniques, including newly developed methods in high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatics, microbial process measurements, and field manipulations will be replicated at the three different sites, and are designed to reveal broadly applicable patterns that govern early microbial community development.
The project will support three graduate and two undergraduate students, including broadening participation from Native Alaskans at the University of Alaska, Southeast. Additionally, ecosystem science learning will be extended to a high school that serves "at risk" students, and students from underrepresented groups in science, by developing a new course using recently deglaciated soils as model systems for students to understand the relationships between nutrient cycling and biodiversity. The PIs will also work closely with the United States Forest Service staff at the Mendenhall Visitor Center to integrate the results of this project into interpretive programs and displays.
