This project will examine the potential of soil fungal interactions to reduce carbon emissions from the soil, and mitigate climate change in forest ecosystems. You will be involved in conducting a mesocosm experiment with forest tree species and get trained in plant and fungal physiological measurements, microscopy, and leaf litter decomposition and soil carbon assessment.
Department: Sustainable Land Management
Supervised by: Rodica Pena
Nearly 80% of terrestrial carbon (C) is found in the soil. One of the immediate possible strategies to mitigate climate change is to reduce CO2 release from the soil to the atmosphere. In the plant-soil-atmosphere system, the C cycle is controlled by bottom-up and top-down mechanisms. In the first case, the major players are soil free-living saprotrophic fungi, the and plant symbiotic-associated mycorrhizal fungi. These fungal groups have contrasting effects on soil C storage: the saprotrophs degrade the organic matter and release high amounts of CO2, the mycorrhizal receive and bring into the soil the plant-photosynthetic carbon. Their competitive interactions may result in enhancing soil C storage and decreasing CO2 loss from the soil. At the same time, top-down control is mainly accomplished by plants through the quality and quantity of leaf litter and the ability to host ectomycorrhizal fungi. This project aims to decipher the link between bottom-up (fungal interactions) and top-down (tree species) C-cycle players by looking at the effect of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungal interactions on plant carbon acquisition (photosynthesis), transfer of plant-fixed carbon to the soil through mycorrhizal fungi, organic matter decomposition, and soil carbon fractions. We investigate pairwise interactions of fungal species selected on the phylogenetic basis in mesocosms with some of the most important European tree species. The selected student will be a vital member of a multi-disciplinary research team comprising post-doctoral researchers, PhD, and Msc students. They will also assist in setting up the mesocosms and train the student in a number of cutting-edge techniques and equipment used for measuring the plant physiological parameters, fungal cultivation, and assessment of decomposition and carbon in soils. The student will have access to a unique and very valuable fungal culture collection.
Tasks will include, but not limited to: Week One Introduction to the background of the project and team. Induction into aseptically work with fungal cultures. Planting the tree seedlings to the mesocosms. Processing the fungal inoculum and soil inoculation. Preparation and adding to the mesocosms of leaf litter mesh bags. Weeks Two Full training to use the devices for measuring the plant physiological parameters (gas exchange, transpiration, chlorophyll fluorescence, etc), evaluation of plant growth. Weeks Two-Five Regular measurements of net plant photosynthesis and carbon fixation. Monitoring of plant growth and performance. Weeks Four Induction to chemical analysis and CAF facility. Collection of soil samples and tree roots. Assess fungal colonisation using a stereomicroscope. Measure soil total carbon contents and fungal biomass. Week Five Collection of the leaf litter mesh bags. Assessment of decomposition, chemical analysis and characterisation of the remaining leaf litter using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), with training included. Week Six Data compilation and processing, with basic statistical training used to summarise findings. This analysis will formulate the poster the UROP student needs to produce and will inform future research needs of the wider team moving forward.
The student must have experience of working in a laboratory and following step-by-step protocols. With the ability to work as part of a team and independently.
The student will have the opportunity to be involved in setting up a research experiment and collect scientific data which can be used for 1) explaining an ecological mechanism which is not well understood, and 2) practical forestry aspects, contributing to climate change mitigation. They will receive training in some of the most up to date techniques for assessing plant physiology, microscopy, and leaf litter decomposition chemistry. They will receive full training in plant growth monitoring and a number of lab techniques, which they will not have encountered before. They will gain experience as a valued member of a dynamic team but will also be encouraged to provide independent thoughts and interpretations of the data they collect. They will also present findings to a welcoming team of researchers interested in similar topics, thereby building on their organisational, analytical, writing, communication and teamwork skills.
The student will largely be based in the Agriculture building, with work in the CEL (Crop and Environment Laboratory) growth chambers.
40
Monday 19 June 2023 - Friday 28 July 2023
The deadline to apply for this opportunity is Monday 3rd April 2023. Students should submit their CV and Cover Letter by email to urop@reading.ac.uk (applications will then be collated and passed onto the project supervisor). Please ensure you quote the title of the opportunity in the email subject line. Successful candidates will be invited for an interview.