Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
The loss of wetlands due to human activity has led to increased efforts in their creation and restoration. This study evaluates a created freshwater wetland and a natural forested wetland at the Mill Seat Wetland Restoration Area in Riga, New York. Since 2019, these wetlands have been subjected to experimental conditions involving leaf litter compost as a soil amendment. Previous research suggests that compost amendments enhance plant diversity, floristic quality, and nutrient availability while supporting key biogeochemical processes. However, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing indicates that the microbial community structure in amended wetlands may be diverging from that of reference wetlands. It remains unclear whether this shift is driven by environmental conditions created by compost addition or by the direct introduction of microbes from the compost itself. This study explores the role of leaf litter compost in shaping microbial community structure and influencing an alternative successional trajectory. We hypothesize that compost addition fosters a microbial community distinct from that of reference wetlands. In the Fall of 2024, we resampled the microbial community using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to analyze shifts since 2020. The 2024 data revealed an enrichment of the phylum Bacillota, likely due to both the direct introduction of microbes from compost and the favorable conditions it creates for their growth. These findings suggest that compost amendments influence microbial community structure, potentially altering wetland succession. By tracking microbial composition over time, this study underscores the role of compost in shaping microbial community structure within created wetlands.
Recommended Citation
Apodaca, Michelle and Almonte, Solangel, "061 - Leaf litter compost soil amendments in created wetlands may drive soil microbial succession toward an alternative community structure." (2025). GREAT Day Posters. 20.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2025/posters-2025/20
061 - Leaf litter compost soil amendments in created wetlands may drive soil microbial succession toward an alternative community structure.
The loss of wetlands due to human activity has led to increased efforts in their creation and restoration. This study evaluates a created freshwater wetland and a natural forested wetland at the Mill Seat Wetland Restoration Area in Riga, New York. Since 2019, these wetlands have been subjected to experimental conditions involving leaf litter compost as a soil amendment. Previous research suggests that compost amendments enhance plant diversity, floristic quality, and nutrient availability while supporting key biogeochemical processes. However, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing indicates that the microbial community structure in amended wetlands may be diverging from that of reference wetlands. It remains unclear whether this shift is driven by environmental conditions created by compost addition or by the direct introduction of microbes from the compost itself. This study explores the role of leaf litter compost in shaping microbial community structure and influencing an alternative successional trajectory. We hypothesize that compost addition fosters a microbial community distinct from that of reference wetlands. In the Fall of 2024, we resampled the microbial community using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to analyze shifts since 2020. The 2024 data revealed an enrichment of the phylum Bacillota, likely due to both the direct introduction of microbes from compost and the favorable conditions it creates for their growth. These findings suggest that compost amendments influence microbial community structure, potentially altering wetland succession. By tracking microbial composition over time, this study underscores the role of compost in shaping microbial community structure within created wetlands.
Comments
Sponsored by Wendy Owens Rios