Wetland microbial ecology & biogeochemistry
Several on-going research projects in the lab consider the structure and function of microbial communities found in the soil of wetland ecosystems. Most of the research takes place at a tidal freshwater wetland associated with the nearby James and Pamunkey rivers. Long-term experimental manipulations are being conducted to study questions such as:
- the coupled effects of hydrology and vegetation on biogeochemistry of freshwater wetlands
- the effects of anthropogenic nitrogen loading on microbial-mediated aspects of nitrogen and carbon cycling
- the consequences of sea level rise and saltwater intrusion on wetland biogeochemistry and associated greenhouse gas emissions
Research has been funded by the VCU Rice Center Student Research Grants, the Society of Wetland Scientists, and the National Science Foundation.
Recent collaborators include Drs. Bonnie Brown, Scott Neubauer, and Ed Crawford. Student research in this area includes recent theses by Ember Morrissey, Jaimie Gillespie, and Aaron Porter.
Recent relevant publications:
Herbert, E.R.,P. Boon, A.J. Burgin, S.C. Neubauer, R.B. Franklin, M. Ardón, K.N. Hopfensperger, L.P.M. Lamers, and P. Gell. 2015. A global perspective on wetland salinization: Ecological consequences of a growing threat to freshwater wetlands. Ecosphere, 6:206. DOI: 0.1890/ES14-00534.1
Morrissey, E.M. and R.B. Franklin. 2015. Evolutionary history influences the salinity preferences of bacterial taxa in wetland soils. Frontiers in Microbiology. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01013
- Morrissey, E.M., J.C. Morina, J.L. Gillespie, and R.B. Franklin. 2014. Salinity as a regulator of extracellular enzyme activity and microbial community structure in Virginia tidal wetlands. Global Change Biology. 20:1351-1362. DOI:10.1111/gcb.12431