Anthropogenic Soil Acidification: Microbial Community Recovery after Liming.

Soil acidification is a huge problem facing agricultural production systems all across the globe.  Despite as much as 40% of farmed lands suffering from reduced soil pH, very little is understood about the basic structure and function of the associated soil microbial communities in recently (<40yrs) acidified agricultural soils. Particularly little is known about the impact of various sources of liming on soil chemistry, Aluminum speciation, and consequently, soil microbial community structure and function.  Through the use of functional gene profiling as well as next generation sequencing techniques, in the Palouse soils of eastern Washington, we have begun to answer critical questions regarding the impact of direct-seed systems on soil acidity and the associated soil microbial communities.  We have also isolated fungi from these soils to test physiological differences and recovery after liming.