Search Results for: ry y

Subsampled open-reference clustering creates consistent, comprehensive OTU definitions and scales to billions of sequences

We present a performance-optimized algorithm, subsampled open-reference OTU picking, for assigning marker gene (e.g., 16S rRNA) sequences generated on next-generation sequencing platforms to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) for microbial community analysis. This algorithm provides benefits over de novo OTU picking (clustering can be performed largely in parallel, reducing runtime) and […]

Stable carbon isotope analysis reveals widespread drought stress in boreal black spruce forests

Unprecedented rates of climate warming over the past century have resulted in increased forest stress and mortality worldwide. Decreased tree growth in association with increasing temperatures is generally accepted as a signal of temperature-induced drought stress. However, variations in tree growth alone do not reveal the physiological mechanisms behind recent […]

Seasonal microbial and nutrient responses during a 5-year reduction in the daily temperature range of soil in a Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem

High daily temperature range of soil (DTRsoil) negatively affects soil microbial biomass and activity, but its interaction with seasonal soil moisture in regulating ecosystem function remains unclear. For our 5-year field study in the Chihuahuan Desert, we suspended shade cloth 15 cm above the soil surface to reduce daytime temperature […]

The Influence of Altered Rainfall Regimes on Early Season N Partitioning Among Early Phenology Annual Plants, a Late Phenology Shrub, and Microbes in a Semi-arid Ecosystem

In Mediterranean-type ecosystems, nitrogen (N) accumulates in soil during dry summer months and rapidly becomes available during early season rain events. The availability of early season N could depend on the size of rainfall events, soil microbial activity, and phenology of the plant community. However, it is poorly understood how […]

Modeling climate and fuel reduction impacts on mixed-conifer forest carbon stocks in the Sierra Nevada, California

Quantifying the impacts of changing climatic conditions on forest growth is integral to estimating future forest carbon balance. We used a growth-and-yield model, modified for climate sensitivity, to quantify the effects of altered climate on mixed-conifer forest growth in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California. Estimates of forest growth and live […]

Tree genotype mediates covariance among communities from microbes to lichens and arthropods

Community genetics studies frequently focus on individual communities associated with individual plant genotypes, but little is known about the genetically based relationships among taxonomically and spatially disparate communities. We integrate studies of a wide range of communities living on the same plant genotypes to understand how the ecological and evolutionary […]

Indirect influences of a major drought on leaf litter quality and decomposition in a southwestern stream

Climate models predict that the southwestern United States will experience an increase in drought frequency and intensity with global climate change. We tested the hypothesis that leaf litter produced under natural drought conditions would have an altered litter chemistry profile and affect decomposition rates and macro invertebrate colonization compared to […]