E&E Seminar Series: “Unraveling soil community dynamics in the face of global change” by Dr. Matthew McCary (Rice University)
October 12, 2021
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Dr. Matthew McCary will present "Unraveling soil community dynamics in the face of global change" on October 12, 2021 at 12pm.
Host: David Wise
Abstract: Soils contain the most diverse community of organisms in terrestrial ecosystems, with essential roles in nutrient cycling and food-web dynamics. Human-induced disturbances remain a significant threat to the structure and functioning of soil communities, yet our understanding of how they respond to environmental change is limited. I present two examples (i.e., plant invasion and resource subsidies) of how environmental change can influence soil community dynamics. First, Ishow how garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)—a widespread North American plant invader—affects soil food webs by altering fungal composition and biomass. In a second example, I show how aquatic insect subsidies can affect subarctic soil communities by adding novel resources, resulting in increased microbial activity, litter decomposition, and plant biomass. Together these two examples illustrate that soil communities are highly sensitive to resource changes in the environment, leading to shifts in ecosystem processes and plant community dynamics.
Date posted
Jul 23, 2021
Date updated
Sep 3, 2021