WINTER SOIL BIOLOGY FIELD DAY
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(Schedules etc. subject to modification)

Current Weather & Forecasts

8:30a – Lecture: Winter Soil Ecology – Soil fauna/flora biodiversity · Biogeochemical cycles · Snow chemistry and atmospheric deposition

Readings	Seasonal Changes in Tundra Soil Fungi of Niwot Ridge - research paper: Schadt et al. 2000, Science (pdf file, 85k) Related Science news article (pdf file, 70k)
Handouts	Microbial seasonal ecology & foodweb (pdf, 70k)
Lesson points	Is soil decomposition going on in winter at appreciable rates? If so, under what conditions? - that is, what factors control the activity of soil decomposers in winter? In a broader frame -- What role does winter decomposition play in the seasonal cycle of nutrient availability in the high montane (for both terrestrial and aquatic systems)?  Also keep this question in mind for later re guest lecture on Niwot Ridge landscape changes by Tim Seastedt.  What is the general composition of the wintertime soil decomposer community?  Does this show some consistency throughout the year, or is there seasonal succession?  How do snow molds (photo above) fit into this seasonal decomposer picture?  That is, what role do they play and under what environmental conditions?	Tundra soil profile, showing high root:shoot ratio.  Green Lakes Valley, Niwot LTER.
Other readings	Interested in more?: Williams, M.W.; Helmig, D.; Blanken, P. 2009. White on green: under-snow microbial processes and trace gas fluxes through snow, Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range. Biogeochemistry, vol 95 (1) pp. 1-12 Phylogeny and Ecophysiology of Opportunistic Snow Molds - research paper: Schmidt et al. 2008, Microbial Ecology (pdf, 180k). Seasonal Changes in the Alpine Soil Bacterial Community of Niwot Ridge - research paper: Lipson & Schmidt 2004, Appl. & Env. Microbio., (pdf file, 1M) Evidence that chytrids dominate fungal communities in high-elevation soils - research paper: Freeman et al. 2009, PNAS (pdf file, 500k)

9:30a-12n – Field: Winter soil biota at work 

  FIELD -

Bring	Good flotation (snowshoes, skis with skins) Layers - be prepared for standing/keeling in the cold Field Journal Snacks If you have:  Snow shovel Hand lens Avi probe	Soil CO2 flux analyzer, lodgepole pine  forest, MRS.  Winter Ecology 2005.  (photo: Alan Rosacker)
Handout	Field data collection datasheet (pdf, 10k; xlsx) Determine significance (p) for Regression R2 (xls, 20k)
Lesson points	Activity supports points under Soil processes lecture, above

Resources

On Soil Microbes and Snow Molds – ppt by Ken Wilson (pdf, 3M) Soil Food Webs and Taxa, compiled by Al Meyer (pdf, 700k) Soil Eukaryotic Kingdoms Primer (pdf, 300k) Origin & diversity of eukaryotes:  Tekle et al 2009 (pdf, 700k)