Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2013DE252B

The Varying Impact of Stemflow and Soil Moisture on the Diversity of Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Relation to Soil Respiration

Institute: Delaware
Year Established: 2013 Start Date: 2013-03-01 End Date: 2014-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $1,500 Total Non-Federal Funds: $3,000

Principal Investigators: Delphis Levia, Katherine Junghenn

Project Summary: The effect of the forest canopy on the spatial distribution of soil moisture remains inadequately understood. Further investigation into the effects of stemflow on soil moisture in relation to bacterial and fungal communities would allow a better understanding between the coupling of tree-soil interactions, which may impact biogeochemical reactivity. As such, the proposed project will provide the scientific community with a better understanding of forest biogeochemistry in relation to water flux. We will be examining the effects of different tree species on soil moisture and microbiology, which ultimately answers questions about carbon flux from the biosphere to the atmosphere. It may be important to note that the research will be conducted within the context of the CRB-CZO, which will leverage existing resources and magnify the impact of our study.