Research Seminar - Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Seminar title: Deciphering the dirt: Understanding microbes, their role in ecosystems and potential application

Seminar abstract: Terrestrial ecosystem conservation and restoration both rely on maintaining and manipulating plant assemblages to achieve a desired community. Plant interactions with soil biota have emerged as major factors determining the structure and long-term stability of plant assemblages. Yet the vast diversity of soil biota remains a largely untapped resource in ecosystem conservation and restoration. My recent research has tried to link changes in soil microbial communities to different functions and use them to increase recovery of native plant communities.

Within a model Florida scrub ecosystem, I used high-throughput pyrosequencing and culturing to compare soil fungal communities between natives sites, disturbed sites and native sites converted to pastures. Using cultured fungi, I established experiments to determine if fungi from different site types were functionally different. Finally in disturbed and converted pasture sites, I added inoculum from different site types and seeded several native plant species to test if fungal additions improved native plant success.

There were clear differences in fungal communities between native and degraded sites. Fungi cultured from these sites also differed in function, growth and competitive ability. Finally, the addition of specific, culturable fungi enhanced germination and survivorship of several native plant species, but the benefit (or hinderance) depended on plant identity, site type, fungal group and its origin. This research establishes a conceptual framework and prototype for the use of natural soil biota to help preserve and restore ecosystems. The goal is to directly increase the effectiveness and efficiency of land management by integrating soil community ecology into conservation and restoration science.

For more information on Dr Sikes, please visit http://bensikes.wix.com/sikesmicrolab#

The seminar will be followed by drinks and nibbles available in the foyer of L9 – all are welcome! No RSVP is required.