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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #285526
Title: Pyrosequencing reveals bacteria carried in different wind eroded sediments

Author
item GARDNER, TERRENCE - Alabama A & M University
item Acosta-Martinez, Veronica
item Zobeck, Teddy
item BADDOCK, MATTHEW - University Of Virginia
item Van Pelt, Robert - Scott
item SENWO, ZACHARY - Alabama A & M University
item Calderon, Francisco
item COX, STEPHEN - Research & Testing Laboratory
item DOWD, SCOT - Research & Testing Laboratory

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/2012
Publication Date: 7/25/2012
Citation: Gardner, T.G., Acosta Martinez, V., Zobeck, T.M., Baddock, M.C., Van Pelt, R.S., Senwo, Z., Calderon, F.J., Cox, S., Dowd, S. 2012. Pyrosequencing reveals bacteria carried in different wind eroded sediments[abstract]. Soil and Water Conservation Society. July 22-25, 2012. Ft. Worth, Texas.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Little is known about the microbial communities carried in wind-eroded sediments from various soil types and land management systems. A novel technique, pyrosequencing, promises to expand our understanding of the vast microbial diversity of soils and eroded sediments as it can sequence between 10-100 times more DNA fragments than previous techniques providing enhanced exploration into what microbes are being lost from soil due to wind erosion. Our study evaluated the bacterial diversity of coarse sized fractions of wind-eroded sediment as well as dust collected from three different organic-rich soils in Michigan using a portable field wind tunnel. Our findings suggested:1 Bacteria carried in the coarser sediment and dust were effective fingerprints of the soil source, although their distribution (predominance) may vary depending on the soil characteristics as certain bacteria may possibly be more protected in soil surfaces than others;2 Coarser wind-eroded sediment showed higher bacterial diversity than fine dust and;3 Certain bacteria were more predominant in fine dust (Bacteroidetes, Cloroflexi and Firmicutes)than coarse sediment (Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, revealing different locations and niches of bacteria in soil, which depending on wind erosion processes, can have important implications on the soil sustainability and functioning. Infrared spectroscopy showed that wind erosion preferentially removes particular kinds of C from the soil that are lost via fine dusts. Our study provides evidence that eroded sediments remove the active labile organic soil particulates containing key microorganisms involved in soil biogeochemical processes, which can have a negative impact on the quality/function of the parent soil.