Dense hyphal mats formed by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi are prominent features in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest soils and have been estimated to cover up to 40% of the forest floor in some stands. Although previous studies have examined various aspects of EcM fungi, little is known about their associated microbial...
Forests and forest soils are some of the largest biologically active carbon reservoirs in the world. Therefore, understanding how disturbances, such as forest harvest, influence biogeochemical cycling is particularly important for managing forests sustainably. Timber harvest can have large impacts on forest soils, which may affect the long-term productivity and...
The objective of this study was to examine the variation among ammonia-oxidizing and denitrifying communities in soils of a natural Fennoscandian boreal forest and of a forest with a long history of fertilization with different levels of nitrogen (N), and to examine whether there are any changes in the microbial...
Ryegrass residue consists of three main C fractions: readily available soluble C, intermediately available cellulose and hemicellulose, and slowly available lignin. Changes in chemical composition during decomposition influence rate of degradation as well as composition of the microbial community involved. Use of ¹³C-labeled plant material coupled with analysis of phospholipid...
The cycling of root-deposited photo synthate (rhizodeposition) through the
soil microbial biomass is widely recognized as a critical component of ecosystem
functioning. Little is currently known about the flow of photosynthate through the
microbial biomass however. My research goal was to examine if and how the flow
of root-deposited photo...
The objectives of this thesis were to examine the links between soil microbial community composition and function using the nitrogen (N) cycle as a model for these interactions and to assess the impact of environmental factors such as microclimate, vegetation type, and nutrient availability on microbial diversity and N transformations...
Inoculation trials were set up in fumigated nursery beds for red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) seedling production. Frankia inoculum was applied in eight treatments: control, nodule suspension, and three levels of cell suspension (strain ArI5) applied with and without a peat carrier. Seedlings were evaluated at midseason and lifting. The...
The evolutionary relationship between Frankia and actinorhizal plants was evaluated
by reconstructing molecular phylogenetic trees from nifH, 16S rDNA, and rbcL
nucleotide sequences. Subgroupings in Frankia phylogenetic trees reconstructed from
nifH and from 16S rDNA sequences were consistent in terms of plant origins of Frankia
strains. Although the branching order...
Changes in the type and amount of plant inputs can occur gradually, as with succession, or rapidly, as with harvesting or wildfire. With global change it is anticipated that both gradual and immediate scenarios will occur at increasing frequency. Changes in vegetation inputs alter the quality and quantity of soil...
Prior to 2005, ammonia oxidation, the first step of nitrification, was thought mediated mainly by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). However, the discovery of Thaumarchaeota carrying the genes coding for the ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) enzyme led to the discovery that ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) also contribute to nitrification. Despite the uptick in studies...
:
_____________________________________________________________________
DavidD. Myrold
Prior to 2005, ammonia oxidation, the first step of nitrification, was