How will climate change-induced increases in wildfire frequency affect soil bacterial communities?

Date of Award

6-2024

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Biological Sciences

First Advisor

David Karowe, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Kathryn Docherty, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Silvia Rossbach, Ph.D.

Keywords

Climate change, soil bacterial communities, wildfire frequency

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

6-1-2026

Abstract

In the face of global climate change, wildfires are expected to become more common, significantly impacting soil bacterial communities. This research investigates how increased fire frequency (shorter fire return intervals) affects these communities and whether impacts depend on the aboveground tree species. Soil samples were collected in 2022 from under four tree species, Populus grandidentata, Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, and Pinus strobus, across plots that experienced fire in 1998, 1980, 1948, and 1911, with additional samples from 2017 burn plot that did not yet have trees growing. Soil moisture, temperature, pH, total carbon and nitrogen contents, and the C:N ratio were measured to understand abiotic influences on bacterial communities. Amplicon-based next-generation sequencing of soil bacterial DNA revealed that bacterial richness and diversity decrease with longer fire return intervals, and that community composition shifts significantly over time. Soil pH appeared to influence bacterial community composition but, for the most part, tree species did not. These findings highlight the complex interplay between time since fire, soil characteristics, and bacterial communities, offering insights for managing fire-affected landscapes under climate change.

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