Interactions Between Plant Community Diversity and Soil Biotic and Abiotic Properties in Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Steppe Ecosystems
Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Allison Simler-Williamson (Mentor), Boise State University; Dr. Marie-Anne de Graaff (Mentor), Boise State University; Dr. Trevor Caughlin (Mentor), Boise State University; and Dr. Leonora Bittleston (Mentor), Boise State University
Additional Funding Sources
Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation's Broadening Research Capacity in Biology Program (#3887012) and the GEM3 Idaho EPSCoR program (OIA-1757324).
Abstract
Plants can create changes in soil properties, including microbial communities and abiotic characteristics, and the effects of this soil conditioning can fuel important feedbacks that may structure plant populations, communities, and evolutionary processes. However, the potential for plants to condition soils varies widely, both across and within species. We will examine how the strength of soil conditioning by a foundational shrub species, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and nonwoody plant species varies across a landscape gradient and the implications of that conditioning for seedling survival. Big sagebrush is declining across the Great Basin, and as such, it is an integral species for conservation and restoration efforts. We will compare soil chemistry variables including pH, organic matter, moisture, and nitrogen from soils sampled from the rhizosphere of visually healthy sagebrush plants and from the interspaces between sagebrush plants, occupied by other species, at four undisturbed sites in southwest Idaho. We hypothesize that, with increasing vegetation diversity, the disparities between sagebrush rhizosphere soils and “interspace” soils will decrease. Microbial community composition distinctly differs between rhizosphere and interspace soils and between the four site locations. This preliminary data suggests that A. tridentata conditions the soil in its rhizosphere which could have important impacts on seedling germination and survival. A better understanding of variation in soil conditioning by A. tridentata may impact the planning and protocol for restoration efforts for this emblematic species.
- Baughman, O. W., Agneray, A. C., Forister, M. L., Kilkenny, F. F., Espeland, E. K., Fiegener, R., Horning, M. E., Johnson, R. C., Kaye, T. N., Ott, J., St. Clair, J. B., & Leger, E. A. (2019). Strong patterns of intraspecific variation and local adaptation in Great Basin plants revealed through a review of 75 years of experiments. Ecology and Evolution, 9(11), 6259–6275. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5200
- Davies, K. W., Boyd, C. S., Beck, J. L., Bates, J. D., Svejcar, T. J., & Gregg, M. A. (2011). Saving the sagebrush sea: An ecosystem conservation plan for big sagebrush plant communities. Biological Conservation, 144(11), 2573–2584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.07.016
- Schlaepfer, D. R., Lauenroth, W. K., & Bradford, J. B. (2014). Natural Regeneration Processes in Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Rangeland Ecology & Management, 67(4), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.2111/rem-d-13-00079.1
Interactions Between Plant Community Diversity and Soil Biotic and Abiotic Properties in Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) Steppe Ecosystems
Plants can create changes in soil properties, including microbial communities and abiotic characteristics, and the effects of this soil conditioning can fuel important feedbacks that may structure plant populations, communities, and evolutionary processes. However, the potential for plants to condition soils varies widely, both across and within species. We will examine how the strength of soil conditioning by a foundational shrub species, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), and nonwoody plant species varies across a landscape gradient and the implications of that conditioning for seedling survival. Big sagebrush is declining across the Great Basin, and as such, it is an integral species for conservation and restoration efforts. We will compare soil chemistry variables including pH, organic matter, moisture, and nitrogen from soils sampled from the rhizosphere of visually healthy sagebrush plants and from the interspaces between sagebrush plants, occupied by other species, at four undisturbed sites in southwest Idaho. We hypothesize that, with increasing vegetation diversity, the disparities between sagebrush rhizosphere soils and “interspace” soils will decrease. Microbial community composition distinctly differs between rhizosphere and interspace soils and between the four site locations. This preliminary data suggests that A. tridentata conditions the soil in its rhizosphere which could have important impacts on seedling germination and survival. A better understanding of variation in soil conditioning by A. tridentata may impact the planning and protocol for restoration efforts for this emblematic species.
- Baughman, O. W., Agneray, A. C., Forister, M. L., Kilkenny, F. F., Espeland, E. K., Fiegener, R., Horning, M. E., Johnson, R. C., Kaye, T. N., Ott, J., St. Clair, J. B., & Leger, E. A. (2019). Strong patterns of intraspecific variation and local adaptation in Great Basin plants revealed through a review of 75 years of experiments. Ecology and Evolution, 9(11), 6259–6275. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5200
- Davies, K. W., Boyd, C. S., Beck, J. L., Bates, J. D., Svejcar, T. J., & Gregg, M. A. (2011). Saving the sagebrush sea: An ecosystem conservation plan for big sagebrush plant communities. Biological Conservation, 144(11), 2573–2584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2011.07.016
- Schlaepfer, D. R., Lauenroth, W. K., & Bradford, J. B. (2014). Natural Regeneration Processes in Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Rangeland Ecology & Management, 67(4), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.2111/rem-d-13-00079.1