Spatiotemporal control of microbial and biogeochemical activity in drylands. This project seeks to reveal the fine-scale temporal and spatial controls of dryland microbial communities and their activi

Description

Spatiotemporal control of microbial and biogeochemical activity in drylands. This project seeks to reveal the fine-scale temporal and spatial controls of dryland microbial communities and their activities. Through diel sampling, depth profiling, and microclimate monitoring, paired with species-resolved multi-omic analysis and biogeochemical measurements, this project expects to resolve how dryland microbes adapt to these challenging dynamic ecosystems, how they regulate nutrient cycling and atmospheric gas composition, and how their activities support ecosystem productivity. Expected benefits include basic knowledge on dryland ecosystem functioning, a framework to predict ecosystem responses to environmental change, and insights for management practice to stimulate favourable soil microbial activity for agriculture.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3107 - Microbiology. Lead: Dr Pok Man Leung