Seminar of the Department of Microbiology

Seasonal dynamics of plant-microbial interactions in the Pitztal Valley

Adam Taylor Ruka - PhD candidate - Ecosystem Biology University of Southern Bohemia České Budějovice (CZ)

23.11.2023, 11:00 - ONLINE & IN PRESENCE

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• or in presence: HSB 4 (Technikerstraße 13b, EG)

Abstract

Alpine biomes experience harsh environmental conditions and short growing seasons, which necessitate interspecific and intraspecific interactions among plant and soil microbes to ensure the stability of diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality. The relationships between plants and microbes in these soil ecosystems are affected by seasonal pulses of nutrients and distinct plant phenology which create "hot moments" of biogeochemical activity in the rhizosphere. Additionally, elevational differences in climatic and soil conditions create a suite of constraints that limit biological activity and potentially drive competition or cooperation between trophic levels. Therefore, our research assesses the seasonal changes of multiple plants and their associated rhizosphere microbiota, enzymatic potential, and stoichiometric ratios to understand the temporal patterns of plant-soil-microbe relationships across a 600 m elevation gradient in the Austrian Alps.