MICROBIAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS OF ALTERED DECOMPOSITION AND N MINERALIZATION IN A RANGELAND ECOSYSTEM EXPOSED TO GLOBAL CHANGE

WYO-00595)

Sustainability of rangeland ecosystems in the coming decades will depend on decomposition rates of soil organic matter, availability of nutrients, and continued functioning of soil microbial communities. More information is needed to improve predictions of how global changes, such as warming and atmospheric CO2 concentrations, will alter soil properties and processes in the future. This project investigates the effects of ecosystem warming and elevated CO2 on soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient cycling and on the soil microbes that are the drivers of these important biogeochemical processes. The project focuses on belowground responses to global change, and complements additional research being conducted on aboveground productivity and plant species responses in a widespread rangeland ecosystem.

USDA CRIS Project Information Link: 0211666