Organized Oral Session
Tanya Cheeke, Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
Washington State University
Richland, Washington, United States
Stephanie Porter, Associate Professor
Washington State University, Vancouver
Vancouver, Washington, United States
Emily Graham, Ecosystem Scientist
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, WA, United States
Kevan Moffett, Associate Professor
Washington State University, United States
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity across the globe, which removes not only trees and vegetation, but also impacts microbial communities in soil. While some plants recover quickly after wildfire, others are slow to regenerate, which impacts both above and belowground species composition. Wildfires can reduce microbial biomass and spore banks in soil, and alter soil biogeochemical processes, via heat-induced mortality, alteration of soil properties, combustion of the organic layer, and decreased soil organic matter inputs. Symbiotic soil biota such as mycorrhizal fungi and N-fixing bacteria are especially vulnerable to disturbances that remove vegetation from the landscape because of their reliance on living plant roots for carbon. Yet, these symbionts provide benefits that are crucial to plant performance and therefore can be critical to revegetation post-fire. Management often focuses on restoration via replanting of trees or other sensitive species after fire, yet there exists a significant gap in understanding the recovery of biota belowground and their impact on above ground plant communities.
To understand how the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires will alter plant communities we must investigate how fire changes soil microbial communities and evaluate downstream effects on plant stress tolerance and ecosystem function. The objective of this Organized Oral Session (OOS) is to advance ecological understanding of the disruptions that fire imposes on plant-microbe-soil feedbacks and elucidate the role that soil microbiota play in post-fire recovery. Our session includes a diverse group of presenters, with graduate students, early career scientists, and representatives from different types of academic institutions, including R1 universities and primarily undergraduate campuses, as well as a national laboratory. This OOS will increase understanding of how changes in aboveground community composition amid post-fire climate pressures may be facilitated or inhibited by soil microbes and will provide insights into management strategies to facilitate post-fire recovery. Talks in this session range from ecological theory to applied ecology, representing the many different facets of research occurring in fire ecology.
Presenting Author: Sydney I. Glassman, Assistant Professor – University of California, Riverside
Co-author: Fabiola Pulido-Chavez – University of California, Riverside
Co-author: Peter M. Homyak – University of California, Riverside
Co-author: Loralee Larios – University of California, Riverside
Co-author: James W. J Randolph – Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California-Riverside
Co-author: Cassandra Zalman – University of California - Riverside
Presenting Author: Camille Wendlandt – WSU
Co-Author: Brittany N. LeTendre, MS Student – Washington State University, Vancouver
Co-author: Tanya E. Cheeke, Assistant Professor – Washington State University
Co-author: Kevan B. Moffett, Associate Professor – Washington State University
Co-author: Emily Graham, Ecosystem Scientist – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Stephanie S. Porter, Associate Professor – Washington State University, Vancouver
Presenting Author: Michelle Afkhami, Associate Professor – University of Miami
Co-author: Daniel P. Revillini – Biology, University of Miami
Co-author: Aaron S. David – Archbold Biological Station
Co-author: Eric Meneges – Archbold Biological Station
Co-author: Kevin Main – Archbold Biological Station
Co-author: Christopher A. Searcy – University of Miami
Presenting Author: Amelia R. Nelson, PhD Candidate – Colorado State University
Co-author: Charles C. Rhoades – US Forest Service
Co-author: Timothy S. Fegel – US Forest Service
Co-author: Holly K. Roth – Colorado State University
Co-author: Thomas Borch – Colorado State University
Co-author: Michael J. Wilkins – Colorado State University
Presenting Author: Thea Whitman, Associate Professor – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Co-author: Jamie Woolet – Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University
Co-author: Miranda Sikora – Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Co-author: Dana N. Johnson – University of British Columbia
Co-author: Ellen Whitman – Natural Resources Canada
Presenting Author: Maggie M. Bowman – Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Anil Battu – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Rosalie Chu – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Nancy Hess – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Sarah Leichty – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Patricia Miller – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Odeta Qafoku – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Mark Rockhold – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Michael Rosenstock – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Jason Toyoda – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Tamas Varga – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Thomas Wietsma – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: John Bargar – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Yuliya Farris – Pacific Northwest National Lab
Co-author: Marci Garcia – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Co-author: Emily Graham, Ecosystem Scientist – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory