 The vulnerability of forest microbiomes to climate change differs across habitats and taxa (Willing et al. 2024 Nature Climate Change). |
Plant microbiomes and global changeThe first major goal of our research is to characterize and quantify the impact of global change on plant-associated microbial communities. While next-generation sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of plant-microbe interactions, there remain critical gaps in understanding how microbiomes might respond to global change. The long-term goal of this research is to understand how pulse disturbances like fire and drought impact the distributions of key microbes. Given the orders-of-magnitude differences between tree and microbial lifespans, differing rates of adaptation and recovery could cause spatio-temporal mismatches between plant and microbe partners. For instance, it is unclear how rapidly microbial communities may adapt, acclimate, or recover from increased frequency of pulse disturbances. |
 Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) promote plant species coexistence (Willing et al. 2024 Nature Ecology & Evolution). |
Microbial underpinnings of plant community ecologyTaking the information that we learn about the impact of global change on microbial distributions, the second major axis of our research program is to understand how the presence of key microbes mediates plant species assembly, especially following severe pulse disturbances. The factors which determine species coexistence and maintain diversity in terrestrial systems is a central question in ecology. One provocative idea is that symbiotic mutualisms control vegetation structure. Leveraging models based on the modern coexistence framework, our research investigates the role of root-associated microbial communities on the resistance and resilience of forest communities to climate change. As climate change poses new challenges for ecosystems, our research will illustrates how microbes influence processes of landscape-scale resistance and resilience. |
 A drought acclimation experiment conducted by Dr. Willing investigated the role of mycorrhizal fungi on the potential for plant acclimation to drought. |
Microbial drivers of plant physiological ecologyUsing the information that we gain from testing the role of microbes on vegetation dynamics, the last goal of our research program is to determine the role of microbial communities in the physiological resistance of plants to climate change. For instance, AMF are thought to improve plant drought tolerance, yet few studies have demonstrated the potential mechanisms by which drought tolerance could be conferred. Pathogenic microbes may also influence plant ecophysiological responses to climate change. The long-term goal for this component of our research is to determine the role of microbes in the resistance of trees to climate change. Microbiomes are implicitly included in current measurements of plant response to environmental change; however, our predictions are critically limited as it is unclear how much of this variation is driven by microbial interactions or how these interactions might shift with increasing frequency or severity of disturbance. Our research utilizes classical ecophysiological techniques such as stomatal gas exchange and stable isotope ecology to explore novel questions about the role of microbiomes in determining ecophysiological responses of plants to environmental stress |