Factors affecting greenhouse gas production and enrichment of novel microorganisms from S1 Bog, Minnesota

Abstract

This thesis research focuses on a large scale climate manipulation conducted in northern Minnesota. The 10 year whole ecosystem warming experiment, known Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) aims to predict and model greenhouse gas emissions and the alteration of biological communities from peatlands under realistic climate change scenarios(Hanson et al., 2017). The goal of this thesis is not only to study potential feedbacks of peatlands to global change, but also to investigate how peatland microbial communities impact the such processes. Therefore, this thesis project was designed to investigate the environmental conditions that control the functioning of peatland microbiomes. The investigation required understanding of biogeochemical cycles and microbial ecology. Potential environmental parameters linked to microbial respiration and greenhouse gas emission include temperature, oxygen availability, redox potential, pH, organic substrates provision is applied in lab work to predict their potential effects on microbial metabolism. Overall, the purpose of my thesis research is to provide a predictive understanding of peatland microorganisms and their impacts on climate change, through greenhouse gas emission. If possible, I seek to propose some ideas to slow down the environmental changes occurring in peatlands.