| Title: | Structural and Functional Dynamics of Soil Microbes following Spruce Beetle Infestation |
| Author(s): | Custer GF; van Diepen LTA; Stump WL; |
| Address: | "Department of Plant Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA gcuster@uwyo.edu. Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1098-5336 (Electronic) 0099-2240 (Print) 0099-2240 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "As the range of bark beetles expands into new forests and woodlands, the need to understand their effects on multiple trophic levels becomes increasingly important. To date, much attention has been paid to the aboveground processes affected by bark beetle infestation, with a focus on photoautotrophs and ecosystem level processes. However, indirect effects of bark beetle on belowground processes, especially the structure and function of soil microbiota remains largely a black box. Our study examined the impacts of bark beetle-induced tree mortality on soil microbial community structure and function using high-throughput sequencing of the soil bacterial and fungal communities and measurements of extracellular enzyme activities. The results suggest bark beetle infestation affected edaphic conditions through increased soil water content, pH, electrical conductivity, and carbon/nitrogen ratio and altered bulk and rhizosphere soil microbial community structure and function. Finally, increased enzymatic activity suggests heightened microbial decomposition following bark beetle infestation. With this increase in enzymatic activity, nutrients trapped in organic substrates may become accessible to seedlings and potentially alter the trajectory of forest regeneration. Our results indicate the need for incorporation of microbial processes into ecosystem level models.IMPORTANCE Belowground impacts of bark beetle infestation have not been explored as thoroughly as their aboveground counterparts. In order to accurately model impacts of bark beetle-induced tree mortality on carbon and nutrient cycling and forest regeneration, the intricacies of soil microbial communities must be examined. In this study, we investigated the structure and function of soil bacterial and fungal communities following bark beetle infestation. Our results show bark beetle infestation to impact soil conditions, as well as soil microbial community structure and function" |
| Keywords: | Animals Bacterial Physiological Phenomena Fungi/physiology *Herbivory *Microbiota Mycobiome Picea/*physiology *Soil Microbiology Weevils/*physiology Wyoming Dendroctonus Picea engelmanii bacteria bark beetle community dynamics ectomycorrhizae extracellula; |
| Notes: | "MedlineCuster, Gordon F van Diepen, Linda T A Stump, William L eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2019/11/17 Appl Environ Microbiol. 2020 Jan 21; 86(3):e01984-19. doi: 10.1128/AEM.01984-19. Print 2020 Jan 21" |
