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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Water Quality and Ecology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #422731
Research Project: Enhancing Long-Term Agroecosystem Sustainability of Water and Soil Resources Through Science and Technology

Location: Water Quality and Ecology Research

Title: Assessing the tree bark microbiome of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta as a function of dynamic wetland connectivity

Author
item Heintzman, Lucas
item Barrett, Damien
item DAVIDSON, GREGG - University Of Mississippi
item JACKSON, COLIN - University Of Mississippi
item Moore, Matthew

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/13/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only.

Technical Abstract: Dynamic wetland connectivity is modulated by natural and anthropogenic factors within agroecosystems. In turn, connectivity influences an array of structural and functional interactions- often mediated by microbiological communities. However, limited information exists that describes these relationships among vertical landscape interfaces (i.e., trees). Accordingly, our goal was to explore these patterns and processes using bald cypress as a model. Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a deciduous conifer tree, endemic to the southeastern United States, which provides surface areas for hosting wetland microbial communities. However, as bald cypress occurs near agricultural lands, these trees- and hosted communities- experience variable hydrology via natural and anthropogenic causes (precipitation, irrigation, drainage, etc.). Consequently, nutrient and agrochemical runoff may influence microbial communities and derived ecosystem services. Thus, we sought to document how the microbiome of bald cypress bark responds to altered hydrology and water quality among agroecological landscapes of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (YMD). We collected bald cypress bark samples (n=282) over a six-month timespan (9/2023 –5/2024) from 18 trees located in three wetlands (six trees per site), reflecting a continuum of land use. From each tree, bark was sampled at: a) ~80 cm. above the water line; b) ~20 cm. above the water line (i.e., a “splash zone” for waves); and c) ~20 cm. below the water line. Preliminary results indicate a vertical gradient in the tree bark microbiome. The highest amounts of DNA recovered were from below the water line, with decreasing amounts moving upward. After Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing, community composition will be correlated with hydrology and water quality metrics (e.g. DO, nitrogen content, phosphorus content, and turbidity), to determine primary abiotic drivers of the bald cypress bark microbiome within the YMD. Results are also expected to enhance nutrient cycling models and may provide insight into potential biodegradative properties.