<div dir="ltr"><div>Please share with others!</div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Speaker:</b> Dr. Wendy H. Yang, School of Integrative Biology,
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign <br>
<b>Time/Location:</b> Wednesday, April 6, 2022 @3:00 PM - 3:50 PM,
MSE 103<br>
<br>
You're invited!<br>
<br>
<b>Title: </b>Opening the microbial black box to understand
controls on soil biogeochemical processes
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<br>
<b>Abstract:</b> Microbes mediate biogeochemical cycling of carbon
and nutrients that underlie ecosystem function, yet the explicit
role of microbes is often not considered in biogeochemical studies.
I will present four vignettes that demonstrate how characterizing
soil microbial community composition and function can allow us to
gain a better understanding of controls on soil biogeochemical
processes. First, I will show how microtopographic variation in soil
microbial community composition could explain spatial heterogeneity
in soil greenhouse gas emissions across seemingly homogenous
agricultural fields. Second, I will present how the activity of
different microorganisms harboring the nrfA functional gene for
dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium, an important ecosystem
nitrogen retention process traditionally thought to be restricted to
anoxic conditions, could contribute to the occurrence of DNRA under
oxic conditions. Third, I will explore the ecological implications
of hypothesized non-respiratory functions of the nitrous oxide
reductase enzyme, which has historically been associated with the
anaerobic respiratory process of denitrification. Fourth, I will
share evidence of how the mutualistic relationship between
ectomycorrhizal fungi and their host trees can vary depending on
environmental context, resulting in different drivers of
ectomycorrhizal biogeochemical syndromes. Together, these studies
make a strong case for opening the microbial black box to elucidate
mechanisms leading to variation in soil biogeochemical processes
within and across ecosystems. <br></div><div><br></div><div>
View upcoming seminars: <a href="https://envisci.ucr.edu/news-seminars" target="_blank">https://envisci.ucr.edu/news-seminars</a><br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="SignatureSanitizer_m_3910901674682384102__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">Peter M. Homyak, Ph.D. (he/him)</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">Assistant Professor of</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">Ecosystem and Soil Microbial Processes</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">Associate Editor: </span></span><a href="https://www.elementascience.org/" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:blue">Elementa</span></span><span></span></a><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">Dept. of Environmental Sciences</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">University of California, Riverside</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">900 University Ave</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d" lang="ES-CO">Riverside, CA 92521</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span><a href="mailto:Phomyak@ucr.edu" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:blue" lang="ES-CO">Phomyak@ucr.edu</span></span><span></span></a><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d" lang="ES-CO"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d">(951) 827-2358 | 312 Sci Lab I</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span><a href="http://petehomyak.weebly.com/" target="_blank"><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:blue">http://petehomyak.weebly.com</span></span><span></span></a><span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:#1f497d"> </span></span></p><span></span><p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></div></div></div>