Descripción del proyecto
Identificación de los factores que determinan la diversidad y la función de los microbios edáficos
Comprender qué factores determinan la diversidad y la función de la comunidad microbiana edáfica de climas y comunidades ecológicas dispares es fundamental para averiguar cómo responderán los ecosistemas al futuro cambio global. Por lo tanto, el equipo del proyecto MICOCO, financiado con fondos europeos, caracterizará la contribución de la comunidad vegetal superficial y las condiciones abióticas del suelo a la diversidad y la composición de la comunidad de microbios edáficos. Además, utilizará las últimas técnicas de modelización para determinar la manera en la que el clima influye en la renovación de la comunidad microbiana a diferentes escalas espaciales, así como los efectos del microclima, las asociaciones microbio-microbio y las asociaciones microbio-planta sobre la función microbiana. Los modelos de distribución conjunta de especies más avanzados ayudarán a determinar los patrones de asociación dentro de las comunidades microbianas edáficas, mientras que las bases de datos de rasgos funcionales permitirán identificar fitopatógenos e inferir interacciones.
Objetivo
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.
Ámbito científico
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Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
EX4 4QJ Exeter
Reino Unido