Rhizosphere microbial community structure differs between constant subzero and freeze-thaw temperature regimes in a subarctic soil.

In the Arctic and subarctic, climate change is causing reduced snowpack extent and earlier snowmelt. Shallower snowpack decreases the thermal insulation of underlying soil and results in more freeze-thaw conditions reflective of dynamic air temperatures. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of alternative temperature regimes on overall microbial community structure and rhizosphere recruitment across representatives of three subarctic plant functional groups.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) for determination of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol in volatile emissions from soil disturbance.

A method is described here for the concentration and determination of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) from the gaseous phase, with translation to field collection and quantification from soil disturbances in situ. The method is based on the use of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers for adsorption of volatile chemicals from the vapor phase, followed by desorption into a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) for analysis. The use of a SPME fiber allows simple introduction to the GC-MS without further sample preparation.

Metal accumulation capacity in indigenous Alaska vegetation growing on military training lands.

Permafrost thawing could increase soil contaminant mobilization in the environment. Our objective was to quantify metal accumulation capacities for plant species and functional groups common to Alaskan military training ranges where elevated soil metal concentrations were likely to occur. Plant species across multiple military training range sites were collected.

Ecotoxicity of 2,4-dinitrotoluene to cold tolerant plant species in a sub-Arctic soil.

Decades of live-fire training exercises have left millions of acres of military training lands contaminated with various munitions constituents such as dinitrotoluene. Those that pose a threat to higher organisms due to their toxicity and mobility in the soil are of particular concern. Plants aid in the biodegradation and phytoextraction of contaminants, and site-specific ecotoxicity determinations are critical to inform effective remediation strategy.

Soil Bacteria and Fungi Respond on Different Spatial Scales to Invasion by the Legume Lespedeza cuneata.

The spatial scale on which microbial communities respond to plant invasions may provide important clues as to the nature of potential invader-microbe interactions. Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.

Grassland plant composition alters vehicular disturbance effects in Kansas, USA.

Many "natural" areas are exposed to military or recreational off-road vehicles. The interactive effects of different types of vehicular disturbance on vegetation have rarely been examined, and it has been proposed that some vegetation types are less susceptible to vehicular disturbance than others. At Fort Riley, Kansas, we experimentally tested how different plant community types changed after disturbance from an M1A1 Abrams tank driven at different speeds and turning angles during different seasons.