Project description
Identifying which factors influence the diversity and function of soil microbes
Understanding what drives existing soil microbial community diversity and function across disparate climates and ecological communities is crucial to understanding how ecosystems will respond to future global change. The EU-funded MICOCO project will therefore characterise the contribution of the above-ground plant community and soil abiotic conditions to the diversity and composition of the soil microbe community. It will also use the latest modelling techniques to determine how climate influences microbial community turnover at different spatial scales and the effects of microclimate, microbe-microbe associations, and microbe-plant associations on microbial function. The latest joint species distribution models will determine association patterns within soil microbial communities, while functional trait databases will be applied to identify plant pathogens and infer interactions.
Objective
Soil microbial communities hold sway over numerous processes upon which we depend, driving the cycling of elements which sustain life, but also compromising food security and human health. Understanding the mechanisms driving existing soil microbial community diversity and function across disparate climates and ecological communities is key in order to determine future ecosystem responses to global change. Although studies aiming to characterise soil microbes are increasing in their scope, they will only capture the multifaceted interaction between diverse microbial communities if they measure the effects of above ground plant communities and the abiotic environment, when measured at appropriate scales across landscapes. The proposed MICOCO project will address these shortfalls to achieve the following objectives: [1] Determine the relative contribution of above ground plant community and soil abiotic conditions to SMC diversity and composition; [2] Determine how climate influences microbial community turnover at varying spatial scales; [3] Reveal the relative effects of microclimate, microbe-microbe associations, and microbe-plant associations on microbial function. These objectives will be achieved using novel datasets built on the latest techniques in the sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA). These were collected at local scales (1-100m) in an innovative climate controlled mesocosm, and at landscape scales (100m->100km) as part of pioneering national surveys of soils. Cutting edge modelling techniques will be used to generate microclimate measures, and the latest Joint Species Distribution Models will determine association patterns within soil microbial communities, coupled with functional trait databases to identify plant pathogens and appropriately infer interactions. MICOCO will thus help to reveal microbial community and species level responses to changes in climate, and improve our understand of the effects of global change on their functioning.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
EX4 4QJ Exeter
United Kingdom