FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Biological Sciences (BIO B): BIO-19

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Post-fire structural and functional dynamics of soil microbial communities in Florida scrub.  M.V. ALBARRACIN.  Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Central Florida, 4000 Central Florida Blvd. Orlando, FL. 32826. Florida scrub is a fire-dependent ecosystem. The regeneration of species and recovery of ecosystem function is adapted to periodic destruction by fire. Fire effects on soil microbial community succession, including structure and metabolic/ecological function were analyzed. Soil and litter samples were collected from transects with 11 years, 3 year and 6 months fire suppression time periods. The 11 year transect was burned during the winter season, biweekly sampling was done until 6 months after fire. The microbial community showed significant differences in number of cells, metabolic activity , and community physiological dilution/extinction coefficient. Changes in structural composition  and function related to time after fire, were associated to niche-specialization/substrate-specialization dynamics.