Peatland microbial community in response to warming and carbon dioxide treatments
These samples were taken from the SPRUCE experimental site in northern Minnesota. Samples were obtained from peat cores which were taken from enclosures with varying temperature (+0 to +9 degrees Celsius above ambient) and carbon dioxide (ambient and elevated) treatments and from multiple depths starting at the surface and going down to 2 meters. The goal of sequencing the samples was to characterize peat microbial communities and how that community responds to climate drivers. Peatlands are very important to the global carbon cycle since they sequester large amounts of carbon but are also hotbeds for methanogenesis. Because of this we are interested in understanding how the below ground microbial community controls the fate of carbon in peatlands particularly under increased temperatures and carbon dioxide. DNA was extracted using Qiagen PowerSoil DNA Kit.