Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MICROBIOCLIM (Probing the Active Fraction of Biocrust Microbiomes in the Face of Climate Change)
Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2024-01-31
Biocrusts are miniature ecosystems formed by the intimate association of microbial communities and soil particles and constitute the living skin of drylands. They intercede in numerous key ecosystem processes that are essential to desert ecosystems and play a relevant role in the global carbon cycle. Despite their inherent tolerance to aridity, a growing body of literature suggests that forecasted alterations in precipitation patterns, a global imprint of climate change, have the potential to dramatically affect these communities. However, little is known about how this will alter biocrust microbiome functioning and how these changes will be echoed to the soil properties and carbon budget in global drylands. This lack of knowledge arises from the difficulty to reliably link culture independent traditional genomic data to soil function. Thus, there is an urgent need to implement techniques that allow the identification of active organisms driving soil processes. The main objective of MICROBIOCLIM is
to gain a deeper insight into the effect of altered precipitation patterns driven by climate change on biocrust microbiome functioning in drylands. To tackle this objective, MICROBIOCLIM will implement Biorthogonal Non-Canonical Amino Acid Tagging (BONCAT) coupled to omics methods to probe active cells in situ in biocrust while tracking the evolution of the soil carbon budget under climate change scenarios. The research outlined here includes multiple spatial and temporal scales, which will allow us to gain critical knowledge to design strategies to preserve biocrusts and the ecosystem services they render. This project will also help fill a major gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms controlling soil respiration and their implications for carbon cycling in global drylands, both priorities of the H2020 and the EU Green Deal.
to gain a deeper insight into the effect of altered precipitation patterns driven by climate change on biocrust microbiome functioning in drylands. To tackle this objective, MICROBIOCLIM will implement Biorthogonal Non-Canonical Amino Acid Tagging (BONCAT) coupled to omics methods to probe active cells in situ in biocrust while tracking the evolution of the soil carbon budget under climate change scenarios. The research outlined here includes multiple spatial and temporal scales, which will allow us to gain critical knowledge to design strategies to preserve biocrusts and the ecosystem services they render. This project will also help fill a major gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms controlling soil respiration and their implications for carbon cycling in global drylands, both priorities of the H2020 and the EU Green Deal.
Throughout the project, extensive fieldwork was conducted in three desert ecosystems to collect biocrust samples for analysis, including locations in the Chihuahuan desert, Utah (USA) and Central Spain. A range of rainfall conditions have been tested to explore the effect of changes in rainfall patterns in biocrust functionality, including changes in the rainfall amount, rainfall frequency, or inducing severe droughts. Advanced molecular techniques such as BONCAT-FACS and omics approaches in combination with physiological measurements were developed and applied to study microbial activity and community dynamics in response to rainfall treatments. The current work is focused on linking soil active inhabitants to soil functions. Additionally, remote sensing techniques were explored for estimating physicochemical properties of biocrusts, contributing to methodological advancements in the field.
Key findings from the project include insights into soil carbon metabolism, microbial activity, and community responses to altered precipitation frequencies and extreme drought events. These findings have been disseminated through scientific presentations, seminars, and symposiums, contributing to the wider scientific community's understanding of biocrust ecology and climate change adaptation. Looking ahead, the project is expected to yield publications in high-impact journals, further enhancing knowledge in soil microbiome functioning and climate change adaptation. The implications of this research extend beyond the scientific field, with potential socio-economic impacts including informing policymakers related to climate change adaptation and ecosystem conservation.