Research by the University of Miami’s College of Arts and Sciences aimed at protecting the Florida scrub has spurred a related study of microbes found in the soil of former citrus groves. The citrus research is led by Joshua Fowler, a postdoctoral research associate.
The sandy, well-drained soils of the Florida scrub, which support many native plants, also provide ideal conditions for citrus trees. In the past, Florida’s citrus industry converted this habitat into groves. But with the citrus industry declining, conservationists want to restore the Florida scrub.
Fowler’s research compares microbes in soil from the Florida scrub to microbes from active and fallow citrus groves to evaluate how the citrus groves impact the microbiome.
“People are starting citrus restoration and thinking about how we can steer soil microbiomes toward something that would better support the performance of native plants and biodiversity in general,” Fowler said.
To pursue the study, Fowler was recently awarded the Archbold Biological Station’s David S. Maehr Florida Wildlife Corridor Applied Science Fellowship. Fowler is collaborating with researchers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Archbold Biological Station, as well as private landowners.
Michelle Afkhami, a University of Miami associate professor of biology, is a principal investigator of the Florida scrub study. “Our goal is to try to understand why plant species occur in different places in the Florida landscape and how much of that is driven by the soil microbiome,” Afkhami said. “A fundamental question in ecology is: Why do species occur where they do? This matters a lot because if you’re trying to predict what will happen with climate change or other human impacts in a changing world, you need to understand what factors are driving why species are where they currently are.”
Source: University of Miami
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