Life Sciences Seminar: How microbes mediate ecosystem functioning under anthropogenic stressors

Life Sciences Seminar
The tiny majority: How microbes mediate ecosystem functioning under anthropogenic stressors

Dr. Nate Basiliko
Canada Research Chair
Environmental Microbiology
Laurentian University

Abstract:
Microbes play vital roles in carbon, nutrient, greenhouse gas, and pollutant cycling throughout the biosphere. However, epistemological challenges are part-and-parcel in the field of environmental microbiology because of the small sizes, large numbers, and high phylogenetic diversity of the target organisms, as well as the chemical, physical, and ecological complexity of their habitats. I will start this presentation by broadly highlighting some of the dynamic microbial roles in ecosystems, which begin at molecule-scale biochemical transformations in soils, sediments, waters, and host organisms and cascade to scales as large as the global carbon cycle and climate system. I will then introduce some of the important ongoing limitations and recent advances in the environmental microbiology “research toolbox”. I will briefly present a comprehensive overview of our student-focused research program, and then present two example sets of research projects in more detail. The first explores how changing upland and wetland vegetation in boreal watersheds (occurring through land-use and climate change) influences organic matter subsidies to lake sediment microbial communities (bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses), and in turn microbial carbon cycling and greenhouse gas emissions. This work is uncovering important land-water linkages in carbon cycling and climate change feedbacks that are regulated by a poorly understood lake sediment microbiome. The next explores soil microbial feedbacks to new management practices in temperate and boreal forests including intensifying forest biomass removal during harvest for enhanced bioenergy production, and how land application of waste residuals from mills (biomass boiler ash and biochar, pulp and paper mill waste water treatment plant biosolids) influences soil biodiversity and functioning.

Intended Audience:
Beginners, undergraduates, graduates. Those with interest in the topic.

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