2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/21/2019 | 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM | LEAF LITTER SPECIES AFFECTS ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY | 150 G

LEAF LITTER SPECIES AFFECTS ON MICROBIAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND DIVERSITY

The rate at which leaf litter decomposes in streams varies predictably with the physical and chemical traits of the litter. Decomposition recycles elements as they move from dead organic matter into freshwater food webs. An important pathway of elemental transfer during decomposition is through microbial colonization of leaf litter. Our approach using 15N and 13C enables quantitative tracing of element flux from litter to the microbes to understand how litter type affects this pathway. Here we demonstrate using, 12 leaf species, how leaf litter type affects microbial biomass and community assemblages using chloroform fumigation and 16S and ITS DNA sequencing. Results show 1) microbial C and N biomass are positively correlated with mass loss, 2) the C:N ratio of microbes was inversely correlated with decomposition, 3) bacterial community assemblages were strongly structured by time in the river, 4) bacterial community composition and diversity also correlated with decomposition rates, and 5) fungal communities also differed across litter types but the differences were not as pronounced as bacteria. Together these results indicate that fast decomposing litters transfer more carbon and nitrogen to microbes.

Food Webs
Decomposition
Organic Matter

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Presenters/Authors

Courtney Roush (), Northern Arizona University, cmr627@nau.edu;