Peatlands are hotspots of soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation, and also sites where microbial respiration plays a major role in carbon storage and cycling. Though many think of peatlands in northern regions, there are peatlands in the tropics such as Southeast Asia and the Amazon. Tropical peatlands are estimated to store 11-14 percent of global SOC, but how microbes mediate carbon cycling in these areas is poorly understood. This project focuses on identifying the microbial communities in tropical peat soils and their functional makeup and gene content. Additionally, researchers intend to assess the environmental factors that help determine fungal, bacterial and archaeal composition in tropical peat soils.
Proposer’s Name: Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz, Arizona State University