The consequentiality of microbial traits in disturbed environments

Soil microorganisms are consequential to soil carbon storage, acting as mediators of soil–climate feedbacks. My lab aims to understand how anthropogenic disturbances directly (e.g., soil tillage) and indirectly (e.g., permafrost thaw) impact the functions of soil microbial communities, particularly those relevant to the stabilization and destabilization of soil carbon. Our approach considers aggregations of traits, binning organisms by life history strategies (e.g., growth rates, carbon use efficiencies, substrate preferences). I will discuss emerging frameworks to unify physiological and ‘omics approaches to gain insight into soil function and connect the consequentiality of microbial communities to carbon cycling.