Challenging the paradigm for plant-microbial resource partitioning in Antarctic ecosystems
Lead Research Organisation:
Bangor University
Department Name: Sch of Environment and Natural Resources
Abstract
The Antarctic is a uniquely important 'natural laboratory' for examining ecosystem responses to climate change, and it is vital that the biological changes being observed there are properly understood. Its uniqueness comes from a combination of the simplicity of its ecosystems, which exhibit restricted species diversity and food chain complexity, with environmental warming which is occurring at approximately twice the rate of change in temperate regions. The proposed research will develop novel experimental and modelling techniques to find out the importance in Antarctic soils of specific forms of nitrogen. In addition, we want to find out whether these forms of organic nitrogen are available to microbes and plants, and whether global warming will alter the nitrogen dynamics of Antarctic soils. We hypothesize that our research may offer an explanation for recent expansions in vascular plant populations on the Antarctic continent. The work directly underpins policy relating to climate change and biodiversity in polar regions. The work is also extremely relevant to many other low-input ecosystems around the world (e.g. boreal forest, Arctic tundra, tropical rainforest).
People |
ORCID iD |
Davey Jones (Principal Investigator) | |
John Farrar (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Broughton R
(2015)
Differential acquisition of amino acid and peptide enantiomers within the soil microbial community and its implications for carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Farrell M
(2011)
Rapid peptide metabolism: A major component of soil nitrogen cycling? PEPTIDE METABOLISM BY SOIL MICROBES
in Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Foster A
(2016)
Freeze-thaw cycles have minimal effect on the mineralisation of low molecular weight, dissolved organic carbon in Arctic soils.
in Polar biology
Graham EB
(2016)
Microbes as Engines of Ecosystem Function: When Does Community Structure Enhance Predictions of Ecosystem Processes?
in Frontiers in microbiology
Hill P
(2011)
Soil- and enantiomer-specific metabolism of amino acids and their peptides by Antarctic soil microorganisms
in Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Hill P
(2011)
Vascular plant success in a warming Antarctic may be due to efficient nitrogen acquisition
in Nature Climate Change
Hill PW
(2019)
Plant-microbe competition: does injection of isotopes of C and N into the rhizosphere effectively characterise plant use of soil N?
in The New phytologist
Jones D
(2009)
Carbon flow in the rhizosphere: carbon trading at the soil-root interface
in Plant and Soil
Wilkinson A
(2015)
Challenging the paradigm of nitrogen cycling: no evidence of in situ resource partitioning by coexisting plant species in grasslands of contrasting fertility.
in Ecology and evolution
Description | See previous grant output system |
Exploitation Route | See previous grant output system |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
Description | Conference talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | talk at ETH Switzerland |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Open science talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk on polar biology |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk at Southampton Univ |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Talk with department. Discussion of new potential research areas |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk to CAS China |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk at CAS China on research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Seminar at BOKU, Vienna |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |