Microbial Community Diversity Across the Northern Research Station Belowground Decomposition Study.

In 2012 a novel collaborative study was initiated between scientists at 7 locations within the Northern Research Station of the USDA Forest Service, and additional cooperators in the Rocky Mountain Research Station, Michigan Tech University,  and the Agricultural Research Service.   The Northern Research Station Belowground Decomposition Study will use decomposition rates of wood standards placed in the forest floor and mineral soil in a variety of sites to assess soil productivity.  The specific objectives are – (1) evaluate the effects of soil properties on wood decomposition rates; (2) estimate impacts of land management practices on wood decomposition; (3) examine the relationship between microbial diversity, wood decomposition, and several soil properties; and (4) provide parameterization information for models that incorporate carbon cycling.

Installations have been created in Queens, NY, Baltimore, MD, Somerset, MD, and at Long Term Soil Productivity (LTSP)  sites in Missouri, Minnesota, Michigan and West Virginia.  In addition to establishing belowground decomposition studies at these sites, which include urban forests and parks, forested wetlands, and long-term soil experiments,  soil samples were collected and analyzed for belowground microbial community diversity using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA). Preliminary results suggest that the soil microbial community is dominated by bacteria (mainly gram negative) on these sites, and there are slight differences in the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizae among the sites.   We hypothesize that belowground microbial diversity should be correlated with decomposition rates.  Such information can be helpful in refining our understanding of carbon cycling in forests.