PS 47-216 - The Molecular Observation Network (MONet): Standardized metagenomic analysis of belowground carbon cycling across the United States

Abstract: Microbial cycling of soil organic matter is a key uncertainty in predicting global responses to climate change. One major challenge to addressing this gap has been the lack of publicly available molecular data that are needed to understand soil microbial carbon cycles. In response, the Molecular Observation Network (MONet), supported by the Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL), is generating a standardized database of molecular data on soil structure, organic matter chemistry, and microbial community composition and function. MONet is currently accepting soil cores from different ecoregions across the United States and performing 23 different analyses to gather information regarding metagenomics, micro-level structure, hydraulic properties, and other high-resolution data on belowground carbon cycling. Our goal is to better inform earth system models based on the regional differences found in soil.

One aspect of MONet is to gather metagenomic data to characterize different resident microbial communities and functional genes. In this poster, we highlight differences in microbial taxonomy and functional potential across soil ecosystems, including forest, agricultural, and grassland soils. We hypothesize that in agricultural and grassland soils there is greater nitrification and overall less diversity as opposed to regions with greater moisture and soil organic matter. Examining microbial taxonomy and functional potential that exist in soils with different underlying characteristics can help elucidate how different pathways play a role in overall belowground carbon cycling.