From Genes to Ecosystems : a Molecular view of Microbial Diversity in Plant Communities from a Prairie Restoration Project.

Abstract

A prairie restoration project started in 2004 was designed to increase our understanding of the links between plant communities, microorganisms and overall ecosystem processes. For the project, forty-five plots in a field site near Eau Claire, WI were seeded with different plant species each with various treatments. The primary objective was to use a molecular genetic approach to assess the diversity of the microbial populations and ultimately its effect on ecosystem functioning.