Local scale variation in microbial composition and function across tropical land use gradients
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Ramirez-Doble, Sky
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Abstract
70% of remaining tropical forests, which contains the highest biodiversity in the world, are being converted into agricultural land. Tropical land has altered levels of soil carbon, nitrogen, and microbial composition due to agricultural land use; however, anthropogenic effects on soil and litter microbial functional potential are poorly understood. To help reveal the relationship between soil and litter chemistry and microbial functionality in tropical rain forests, presence of key decomposition macromolecules in litter and soil in correlation with total soil and litter carbon and nitrogen concentrations in the three most abundant tree species in El Yunque National Forest: Prestoea montana var. acuminata, Casearia arborea, and Dacryodes excelsa. Through a series of statistical tests, we were able to determine if (1) C:N and pH differences exist across land use and if differences in soil pH and C:N correlate with the presence of key decomposition macromolecules.
Description
16 presentation slides
Keywords
Ecology, Microbiology, Microbes, Decomposition