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Johanna Birgander, PhD student
My project with the title “Seasonal Variation, and Warm Winters Influences on Soil Microorganisms and Carbon Cycling in Grasslands” involves effect of climate change in a sandy grassland ecosystem. The focus will be on seasonal variation in microbial community composition, as well as changes in carbon cycling, concerning microorganisms and plants. A heating experiment will be conducted and effects on plants and microorganisms documented.
The microbial community will be monitored by both biomass and growth rate measurements. PLFA is used for estimation of biomass, and growth rate measurement is based on growth in presence of labeled markers. Carbon allocation is estimated by labeling with 13CO2 combined with PLFA analysis, which enables to follow carbon on its pathway from the plants to the microorganisms.
Microbial groups of interest are bacteria, saprotrophic fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
The study is conducted in a sandy grassland in southern Sweden with a high diversity in grasses and forbs.
I started my PhD project in the autumn of 2010.
Last modified 5 Dec 2012
Johanna Birgander
PhD student
Biodiversity
Phone:
+46462228968
E-mail:
Johanna.Birgander@biol.lu.se