Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons^™

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Microbial Communities In Great Boiling Spring, Nevada, U.S.A., Jessica K. Guy, Joseph P. Peacock, Jeremy A. Dodsworth, Tanja Woyke, Tijana G. Del Rio, Brian P. Hedlund

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Great Boiling Spring (GBS) is a large, circumneutral, long residence time geothermal spring in the US Great Basin. Twelve samples were taken from four different sediment sites and the planktonic community in the bulk water of GBS on up to four different dates. Microbial community composition and diversity was assessed by using a barcoded, improved universal primer set targeting the V8 portion of the 16S rRNA gene and PCR. Over 200,000 products were sequenced using the Roche 454 GS FLX Titanium System. Sediment and planktonic microbial communities were distinct with very little overlap, regardless of the sampling location or temperature. …

Biological Effects On Serpentinite Weathering, Mary H. Evert, Julie Baumeister, Elisabeth Hausrath

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Serpentinites, perhaps more than any other rock type, control the composition and evolution of the development of the surrounding ecosystems. The bulk chemistry of serpentinite rocks, high in Mg and trace elements, and low in nutrients such as Ca, K, P, and N, causes an extreme and stressful environment for ecosystems. However, the role that those serpentine ecosystems play in development of serpentine soils has not been examined.

Due to the unusual chemistry of serpentine soils, serpentine ecosystems have deeper and better-developed root systems than other ecosystems. The rhizosphere of serpentine systems, documented to produce abundant organic acids and siderophores, …

Baseline Microbial Characterizations Of An Imperiled Aquatic Diversity Hotspot: Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Jessica Newburn, Jim Bruckner, Jenny C. Fisher, Duane P. Moser

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Located in the discharge zone of the Death Valley Flow System, Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a spring-fed desert oasis and biodiversity hotspot about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. These critical wetlands are potentially threatened by groundwater pumping, exotic species invasions, and climate change. Although a major component of the lower food web, very little is known about the microbial makeup of this ecosystem. As a first step towards understanding the microbial and biogeochemical aspects of this system, a detailed molecular-based characterization of microbial communities, baseline chemistry, and physical characteristics of various springs of Ash Meadows will be …

Microbial Ecology Of Keane Wonder Spring, Death Valley National Park, Alexander B. Michaud, Duane P. Moser

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

This research is focused on developing a better understanding of he physiological and phylogenetic diversity as well as environmental abundance of bacteria of the genus: Shewanella in selected desert ecosystems. Prior research from this laboratory has revealed that these bacteria are very abundant in sulfurand organic-rich aquatics habitats. We have selected a number of habitats for detailed investigation (cultivation, molecular ecology and relevant environmental chemistry) including the Tropicana Wash, spring in Death Valley, the lower Virgin River and possibly Big Soda Lame, Nevada.