B062
Microorganisms and Biogeochemical Cycles in the Critical Zone
Microorganisms and Biogeochemical Cycles in the Critical Zone
Session ID#: 252236
Session Description:
The critical zone (CZ) extends from the top of the vegetation canopy down to the circulating groundwater, through a range of habitats occupied by environmental and host-associated microorganisms. This paradigm encourages integrative research across disciplines towards understanding and predicting processes that support life. Microorganisms are found in different environments, including the whole range of the critical zone, from deep subsurface rock fissures to the epiphytes and endophytes of leaves of tall trees. From a microbial perspective, even a seemingly homogeneous forest or grassland contains a wide range of microhabitats, providing a multitude of different ecological niches supporting an astounding degree of microbial diversity. Microorganisms play a range of vital roles in the critical zone, including catalyzing decomposition, nutrient cycles, and mineral weathering. This cross-disciplinary session invites presentations across the range of ecosystem types and research approaches on the diversity patterns, composition, and function of microorganisms in the critical zone.
Co-Sponsor(s):
- EP - Earth and Planetary Surface Processes
- GC - Global Environmental Change
- H - Hydrology
- NS - Near Surface Geophysics
Index Terms:
0410 Biodiversity [BIOGEOSCIENCES]
0414 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling [BIOGEOSCIENCES]
0448 Geomicrobiology [BIOGEOSCIENCES]
1402 - Critical Zone [CRITICAL ZONE]
Primary Convener: Emma L Aronson, University of California Riverside, Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Riverside, CA, United States
Conveners: Stephen C Hart, University of California Merced, Life and Environmental Sciences, Merced, United States and Jerald Ibal, Idaho State University, Biological Sciences, Pocatello, United States
Student/Early Career Convener: Micah Unruh, University of Kansas, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, Lawrence, United States
See more of: Biogeosciences