Obiettivo Soils are an invaluable asset for human wellbeing. Thus monitoring their quality and sustainable functioning should be a priority in a time of global change with unpredictable consequences. Climate-induced changes in species assemblages of biological communities are well documented. However, relatively little is known about such changes in microbial communities, in spite of their critical importance for ecosystem health. Microorganisms adapt faster to changing local conditions than plants and other macro-organisms, making them ideal as indicators for soil and ecosystem health. Thanks to their steep altitudinal gradients, mountain areas are particularly well suited for studying soil microbial community changes induced by climate change. This also makes them more vulnerable, increasing the risk for loss of biodiversity through mountaintop extinction and perturbations of ecosystem integrity. The advancement of DNA sequencing technologies now enables us to explore microbial diversity in-depth and to monitor microbial community composition and dynamics. In MicrObs, I propose an innovative study utilising “next generation” sequencing to survey and monitor the functional and compositional diversity patterns of soil microbial communities along an altitudinal gradient in response to climate change. A soil transplantation experiment will also be carried out to accelerate climate-induced changes. I seek to combine my existing skills with the expertise of the Soil Microbial Ecology Group at NEIKER, utilising the group’s unique “Microbial Observatory” Project. MicrObs will improve the current understanding of the impact of climate change on soil microbial communities and associated ecological processes, on local and global scales. In addition, it will facilitate for continued monitoring. The conceptual and methodological training objectives proposed will strengthen my scientific and management skills, enabling a future establishment as an independent researcher. Campo scientifico natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicinetransplantationnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiology Programma(i) FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Argomento(i) FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF - Marie-Curie Action: "Intra-European fellowships for career development" Invito a presentare proposte FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF) Coordinatore NEIKER-INSTITUTO VASCO DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGRARIO SA Contributo UE € 166 336,20 Indirizzo BERREAGA KALEA 1 48160 Vizcaya Spagna Mostra sulla mappa Regione Noreste País Vasco Bizkaia Tipo di attività Research Organisations Contatto amministrativo Carlos Garbisu (Dr.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato