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Report Information

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Meeting minutes for NCERA-59 Business Meeting June 29-July 1, 2007
Recorded by Teri Balser, edited by members present (listed above).


Field trip Saturday morning:
1. Peter Keneghe's farm (winner of the sustainable agriculture award, and site for previous collaborative work done by Richard Dick and NCERA-59),
2. OSU research site addressing organic and low-input fruit production with a presentation by Jennifer Moore Kucera,
3. OSU horticultural research site manure and disease suppression study presented by Alex Stone and Jessica Grinot, and
4. Gathering Together farm for a presentation on OSPUD, an organic potato project presented by Dan Sullivan
Business meeting called to order:
3:20 pm, Saturday June 29, 2007 by D. Archibald.

A. PowerPoint Introduction and Overview of NCERA-59 (Archibald)
1. Agribusiness issues in the news&. Recent articles from the Oregon Statesman
2. Website and officers listed - project renewed until 2011
3. Statement of our purpose - come together as group to do more than we do individually
4. List of 5 primary objectives for NCERA-59, reminder

B. Introductions and sign-in (Archibald and group)
Sign-in sheet passed around.

DA called for a volunteer to take notes for our year-end report - note incidences of Impacts for the SAES 422 report.
For example: symposia that people mention. Need someone to pick out the possible outcomes/impacts as they are mentioned. Then fit them into the 5 NCERA-59 objectives.
-- Michelle Wander later led the discussion and notes were recorded by Teri Balser.

C. Agenda review

D. Approved minutes of 2006 meeting

E. Discussion of the need to review and update our Impact Statement.
We need to be able to explain to others what we do and why it's important. Is generally a summary of number of publications and symposia, collaborations, and so forth. Need a committee of 3 people, and complete the update by Dec 2007. The original is on the NRCA web page.
Chuck Rice and Michelle Wander volunteered, and elected Peter Motavalli (absent from meeting, so to be confirmed).


F. Back to Introductions
Doug Archibald - Penn State University, analytical chemist using infrared spectroscopy for analysis of SOC levels and characterization of SOM fractions
Chuck Rice - Kansas State University, cross scales, mechanistic/microbial diversity to carbon and policy
Michelle Wander - U Illinois, works on soil ecology and management. Current projects include bioenergy crops, organic agriculture, tillage and cover crops, Land Informatics, and eOrganic
Larry Cihacek - North Dakota State, teaching soil chemistry, research
Gerald Miller - Admin advisor, soil genesis, admin since 1998 (Assoc Dean), may be his last year if there is a 10-year term limit. NCERA-3 (Soil Genesis) also has SOM interest: regional inventory based on soil surveys. Pedologists have put a lot of effort into SOM characterization.
Ann-Marie Fortuna - Wash State Univ, soil ecology
Elizabeth Burr - PhD student with Dave Myrold and Peter Bottomley currently
Alex Stone - Dept of Hort at OSU, soil quality, OM quality, and plant health
Deborah Allan - UMN, C and N cycling, soil quality
Richard Dick - Ohio State, wetlands, CH4-oxidation, mic groups
Teri Balser - Madison, lots of things
Rhae Drijber - was absent first, but will be here tomorrow.

G. Administrative oversight/update - Gerald Miller, 3:50pm
1) Check the membership sheet and make any corrections necessary to contact information. File Appendix E if there is a change, work with the CRIS administrator (for Ann-Marie),
2) Note - We struggled this past year with getting the SAES 422 report completed on time. Must be more on top of the Dec 15 deadline. Don't leave it all to the Chair at the last minute! Critical to follow through. Doug made a great outline. Must be better at reporting our accomplishments to be able to put them in the report. We only need to have 2-4 good impacts/outcomes. We should have a discussion before we leave. We post the minutes, but the SAES 422 is the critical form, so that the Administrative Committee can see what we are up to. We need to do a better job.
3) We need to redo the Impact statement. This is the first meeting of the new approved committee. Midterm reports are required after second year (which would be 2008). 2009 is an "off" year for Impact report. 2010 we will need to do our renewal. Dec 2010 will be 4th year. (New Impact Statement due).
4) Nominating committee for officers rather than informal process.
5) Some NCRA Administrators retired and there are some new ones. There is a new Executive Director who is visiting campuses. They meet quarterly. In Spring (March) they take action on project renewals and midterms. Dept chairs plus NCAC form an administrative committee that meets in January. Miller prepares materials for review that are approved by the NCAC. THE TAKE HOME POINT FOR NCERA-59 PARTICIPANTS IS: We must communicate with our Dept Chair (at least informally) about this committee. Especially those of us in the North Central. Additionally, we should garner support from our local NCRA administrators for the NCERA-59 project when the project is up for review.
6) Update of Federal - Earmarks taken out and put into formula funds. Some states' experiment stations were winners and others were losers. Trends: 2006-->2008, Hatch $177M-->$164.5M, NRI $181M-->$265M. Final budget item - by 2008 we are down by 3 million (?). June - House subcommittees meeting during June. Completed. Assumption that House will take up the 2008 Budget after they come back, mid-July. The federal funding overview prompted a discussion of what appears to be a long-term weakening in support for the soils program of NRI. It was stated that the soils program has been cut despite the recommendations of an NAS committee and a statement by ASM in favor of expanding soils research and training, because of the crucial roles of soils in important contemporary issues facing society. The discussion noted that the organizational work to improve support for soils research and training also could benefit from expansion of relevant SSSA and NAS committee planning and action.
7) 'Create-21' was initiated by a committee of deans and directors 3-4 years ago. The idea is to reorganize efforts to improve financial support and accountability for LGU funding. A proposal to merge NRCS, CSREES, Forest service, ARS and ERS has been scrapped. Additionally, national program leaders have been looking at strategies to improve efficiencies. Within the past 6 weeks the National Institute on Food and Ag (NIFA) merged with Create-21. The Fed admin branch proposal for the Farm Bill still has the efficiency piece in it (the merging of all those). The take home lesson is that the reorganization discussion has evolved.
Handouts (n=3): Create-21 and Farm Bill
25% of Hatch $ is required to get coded as multi-state activity.
Discussion about the above statements and potential threats to Hatch formula funds:
A. Fortuna - Concern about losing all hard-money if a Create-21 plan advocates growth mainly in the competitive funding, while leaving capacity funds stagnant. We should reiterate the importance of the capacity funds any chance we get. These can be a critical source of support for pre-tenure faculty and they provide infrastructure.
L. Cihacek - Perceives a weak link between Expt Station and USDA. Expt Station needs to engage USDA-ARS.
G. Miller - Need to retain formula, but also need to grow the research dollars.
G. Miller - NIFA - may get rolled-into Farm Bill.
C. Rice - Even among the prof societies they want to get rid of Formula Funds (ASM). NIH and NSF are growing while USDA is not growing. In scientific and technical societies there seems to be the common perception of lack of accountability and inefficient use of funds. Consequently, we need to work on accountability. Our program at USDA needs to highlight success stories and/or impact.

H. State Reports
1) The state reports are our collective accomplishments. D. Archibald will email a document template with NCERA59 objectives so we can make a matrix of impacts.
2) Larry had his report ready to distribute. Chuck is "saving carbon" by not bringing hard copy.
3) State reports end up as appendix to minutes.
Collaborative grants funded
Publications
Reports
Abstracts
Outreach activities
Comments:
C. Rice - We need to go back to NCERA-59 objectives and remind ourselves. So we can brainstorm and come up with impacts.
Deb Allan - Can we do this later? (Revisit the objectives and report.) Ann-Marie and Richard have reports. We should decide to end at 5:30pm and start again at 8:00am.
The group resolved to have 2 talks (discussions or state reports) after the business meeting with 2 talks remaining for the next morning.

I. REPORTS:
Chuck Rice - Presented his Work and Led Discussion of NCERA-59 Objectives:
1. One is to coordinate research projects/info exchange on SOM.
2. Identify and evaluate indicators for soil ecology mgt.
3. Conduct outreach activities to scientists in related disciplines to promote ecol mgt of soils

Issues That Should be Driving our Plans:

"Biofuels. Concern about impact of removal of biomass on soil.
-AAQTF - Ag AirQual Task Force. Rice is a member. Requested that USDA do a holistic analysis on sustainability, but got poor response. Appointed by Sec to advise him. Particulates, then added greenhouse gases.
-NAS - also looking at it.
-Can we (NCERA-59) do anything? Should we?
(Laura Lipps, and I can get help in a proposal for the new DOE Center?)

"C sequestration (C markets, inventories, sustainability, CSP)
-how much can be stored?
-how to measure it
-scaling
-model - aggregation. Need for mechanistic models that incorporate aggregation.
((NACP experience - clueless in academe! Opportunity for our outreach))
We CAN measure carbon - despite that NRDC and Env. Defense Fund says we cant. We have an opportunity (G. Miller). Not in a journal - but need to inform. White paper. Credibility. Symposium in Societies -
Also highlight the need to assess Trade-offs in Biofuels.
(ASA/SSSA Symposium last year - claim my talk, and my Oxford RT thing. And participated in NACP.)
C. Rice - Carbon credits - energy commissions. Need for monitoring, modeling& Possible activity - use the farmer thing, and we test it on our systems.

"C-N interactions - managing for one cant be sep from the other& There's a triangle, of sustainability.

"Biodiversity

Rice presented data on tillage and C sequestration related to measuring baseline SOC values.

J. Discussion of what to do tomorrow.
D. Allan - 3 talks, then 2 20-minute presentations. Then decide what to do between 10am-12pm.

Meeting ended at 6:10 pm.


Sunday July 1 2007

Meeting begin at 8:15am

Present: Stone, Cihacek, Balser, Archibald, Wander, Miller, Fortuna, Dick, Allan, Rhae Drijber (NE), Addy Elliott (CO),

A. Reports from members:

1. Larry Cihacek
Description of current research.
Terrestrial C sequestration in restored grasslands
CRP land, 5, 10, or greater ages

Described sampling. 2 increments, 0-6 inch depth, 6-12 inch. Sample for every 10 acres. Mix, take 10 g subsample. Org C and inorg C. In some systems we may be sequestering a lot of C as inorg C, but its hard to nail down (age, formation etc).

C in soil increases with time in CRP - to 21 years (Oldest site) Native grasslands still have more, but barely. Native sites tend to be unfit for cropping - too steep, shallow, rocky.

ACTION: New samples - western MN this year. Jerry gave him two places in Iowa to sample too. At end, goal = 1500 benchmark sites from N Iowa to N Eastern MT.

Impact: could be shared with NCERA-3


2. Ann-Marie Fortuna, 8:35am
Postdoc work - NP in contrasting soils following dairy manure application

5 state coordinated project focusing on biology as an indicator of changes in soil quality
AOB - affected by SOM-N content, mineralogy, CEC
Used DGGE to identify beta-AOB

Some correlation between C and N in the soil and the NP results
Amount of C in system makes a big difference - impact by site
Organisms are responding within 28 day incubation to the N addition in dairy application
Goal: Try to develop indicators to relate to rates
-SOM C and N, and pH were most important,
-soils with history of high N had more NP - but soils with history of LOW N inputs had higher increase/response
-Determining variations in timing of addition can improve management

3. Richard Dick
Project that led to NSF project - native shrubs and hydrologic cycle - Senegal (cell phones but no running water)-
Studied the agroecology of perennial shrubs growing in farmers' crop fields during drought. There are two species with differing densities on the landscape. Shrubs are commonly burned prior to growing season leaving piles of ash and the team suspected that practice was counterproductive in a dry, carbon-depleted landscape. They excavated under shrubs and found deep roots, higher soil C and evidence for hydraulic lift. They characterized the crop productivity, soil moisture patterns and soil biology/diversity versus distance from the shrubs. Impressive effect of shrubs on productivity of nearby crop plants during droughty periods.

4. Teri Balser
Presented studies of nutrient cycling, soil properties and soil microbiology at otter latrine sites in the Prince William Sound area of Alaska. Latrine sites support formation of a highly fertile 'soil' in a landscape that is predominantly peat. Fascinating natural system case study with implications for managed systems.



B. New Topics

1. M. Wander
Community of Practice (CoP) - A discussion of this and other ways to foster our interactions?

CoP definition - social learning that develops over time as people with common interest in a subject collaborate and share ideas. The conceptual framework was developed by Fred Nikols (Three principles of CoP).

Work on the SQWebsite with Susan Andrews has progressed. There are also other soil management web sites including USDA-NRCS and Sieglind Snapp's university web site.

NCERA-59 project was modifed from NCR-59 (research) to NCERA-59 (extension and research) in 2005.
An idea generated at the meeting in 2006 was to pursue an eXtension grant to foster developing a CoP.
A class in IT helped review our needs (an "IT Makeover"). We needed to add peer review, and they recommend OJS software (Open Journal Software). It may be quite a big a task to maintain a new journal.

New IT for developing a collaborative environment for peer reviewed extension information is evolving rapidly, with implications for a number of group activities that have been proposed in NCERA-59.

Overview of Informatics tools -
1. Collaborative environments
Plone
2. Text communication tools
Face to face
Email
Forums
Wikis
RSS Feeds (Current awareness) (Place it in areas, like a link - but it alerts to changes?)
Journal
3. Data management tools
Concept mapping
Terminology and definitions
Preservation standards

Last year we talked about Ecological Soil Management CoP
Potential types of content?
- Articles - not necessarily peer-reviewed
- Presentations - for CEUs
- FAQs
- Forums
- Policy pieces
- Training guides
- White papers
- Podcasts

T. Balser mentioned a possible model site, the 'Encyclopedia of the Earth', a peer reviewed Wiki.

Text Informatics strengths and weaknesses (see table)

Proposed to generate a WikiSpace for this group - perhaps an example would be to revise the minutes. It's a good first assignment for us to learn. Group had questions about what it is.
[Note added later by D. Archibald: I explored several avenues for an interactive document for the minutes, including a Wiki or a Plone or Drupal site, and decided that 'Google docs' was the best option. Some options had no way to restrict viewing on the web (except for a fee), some had difficult sign-up procedures, some had non-standard editor commands, and some required setting up a web server.]

M Wander - We are not a clearinghouse so much as posting to others sites

A Stone - We should commit to a couple areas that we care about.

Areas for a Wiki:
- Notes
- MGT pages
- Food-web/BioIndicators
- White Paper
10:10am

2. A. Stone

Introduced and discussed eXtension - National website for extension programming - to help extension work go national rather than only state by state. Funded by the Land Grants, give out small grants to start CoPs.

Goal: Practitioners create the content - Extension has to write materials, and the online part will also be part of job for tenure/promotion.

Community of Practice interacts with Community of Interest - Who is that, and how do we reach them? What are the things we can do?
Where are we...
Jan 2006 Stated need (Michelle - outcome from the NCERA59 group)
Conference calls to develop idea  ATTRA and OAI (Organic Ag Info)
March 2006 - preproposal
June 2006 - full proposal
Oct 2006 - eXtension workshop to learn more
Nov 2006 - CSREES Integrated Organic Project (coordinates with other Org Ag Info providers, got funded to develop an eOrganic eXtension site in two areas.

Evolution of content emphasis - certification, dairy as model livestock, diversified vegetables as model cropping system.

Alex Stone wants NCERA-59 participants to contribute soils content to their eOrganic site. This is to be explained in detail in the workshop Monday and Tuesday.

3. C. Rice

Action items discussed.

OBJ 1

A) Evaluate COMET VR - supposed to be USDAs sanctioned way for farmers to do a C inventory/assessment - leads into DOE program for voluntary reporting for greenhouse gases. COMET VR is supposedly user friendly, just type in land-management practice and come up with a C sequestration rate (assigned to: L Cihacek, C Rice, D Allan)
A simple test is envisioned to answer the question: are the practices relevant to your area and do the soil C budgets make sense? The plan is to write up something that will go on a Wiki?

B) Evaluate SCI (Wander, Cihacek)

C) Build table from the C diagram of how we can collaborate through research platforms/methods (Rice will circulate a table through Wiki)
((need for keywords to search and project titles. Send me your annual reports))

D) Grassland cross-sites comparisons (future)

E) Compare soil C measurement techniques (Doug, Larry, Chuck)

F) Ecol Soil Mgt CoP (Wander)
Wiki
Start with the minutes from here (Teri)
Potential collaboration networks - who is doing what/can do what?
Topics?


OBJ 2

A) Review NRCS Indicator Matrix for ecological soil management (Wander) - report for next year

B) Develop our own matrix (future)

OBJ3

A) Co-sponsor symposium with GSA at the SSSA-GSA meeting in 2008 - Who? Will be in Early October, in Houston
(Rice, Wander. Also involve Susan Trumbore, Claudia Moria.)

B) Participate in K-State workshop (Chuck please send info out to everyone) (Rice, Larry, Doug)

C) eOrganic (Stone, Wander)
Soil component - (Stone, Wander, Fortuna, Motavalli, Balser, Dick, Drijber, Horwath, Snapp)

D) paper to address the Tilman article re: Biofuels
(Chuck, Deborah, Michelle, Teri)


OBJ4

A) Co-sponsor at ASA-GSA 2008

OBJ5

A) Coordinate with NCERA-3 next June for meeting

June 2008 Rice - Manhattan, KS (Tours: farmer panel, Konza Prairie, Ecosystem plots, restoration plots)
June 2009 Balser - Madison WI (Tour ideas? Arboretum, WICST?)
Coordinate with NCERA-218?

C. Final business

Motion to approve 2008 meeting location at Kansas State University
Wander, so moved
Cihacek second, approved
Entertain motion to have Richard Dick become next secretary
Discussion - nominating committee& desire to have a member with past service remain on committee leadership. Members who have been around be warned - you will likely be called into service.
Moved Allan, Second Drijber

We did not unofficially recommend Ann-Marie as Sec in waiting


Officers for 2008:
Chair: Stone
Vice-Chair: Balser
Sec: Dick
Past Chair: Archibald

Archibald  send out template, reports due in 4 weeks
Minutes filed in 60 days subsequent to meeting

D. Impacts/Accomplishments

Group Accomplishments/Impacts Summary Task
Group discussion led by M. Wander

Accomplishments -
See composite list of publications and state reports

OBJ1
Cover crop working group adopted by CCX trading

OBJ2
Papers by members

OBJ3 eOrg
IOP
IPCC

OBJ4
SQ Working Group 06 SQ website -
eOrg visioning
C-Seq House briefing House Briefing, Legislation being drafted
Richard"s enzymes
Teris NSF workshop Report to NSF for new funding areas

OBJ5
Planning to meet with NCERA-3 in June 2008

Impacts -

Selected committee members:
a. Received an extension grant for development of eOrganic, a National Extension Website (NRI Organic Grant) on organic agriculture. (Alex Stone and Michelle Wander)
b. Developed a Soil Quality Website, indicator development project (Michelle Wander, Rhae Drijber. Terri Balser, and Ann Marie Fortuna)
c. Research and educational meetings were held resulting in 90 contracts signed by Kansas Kansas producers with the Iowa Farm Bureau, representing nearly 100,000 acres. Overall, the Chicago Climate Exchange has 1250 contracts for soil carbon credits representing 802,000 acres in Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas at a current value of approximately $2.25 per acre per year ($1.8 million per year or nearly $7.2 million for a four year contract) (Rice)



Meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

eOrganic workshops continued Monday and Tuesday





Submitted by:

Teri Balser
NCERA-59, Secretary, 2007


Approved:
Signed Douglas Archibald
NCERA-59, Chair, 2007

Signed Gerald Miller
NCERA-59, Administrative Advisor, 2007

Accomplishments

See composite list of publications and state reports<br /> <br /> OBJ1 <br /> Cover crop working group adopted by CCX trading <br /> <br /> OBJ2 <br /> Papers by members <br /> <br /> OBJ3 eOrg<br /> IOP <br /> IPCC <br /> <br /> OBJ4 <br /> SQ Working Group 06 SQ website  <br /> eOrg visioning <br /> C-Seq House briefing House Briefing, Legislation being drafted <br /> Richards enzymes <br /> Teris NSF workshop Report to NSF for new funding areas <br /> <br /> OBJ5 <br /> Planning to meet with NCERA-3 in June 2008 <br />

Publications

Ahn, M.-Y., A. R. Zimmerman, C. E. Martinez, D. D. Archibald, J.-M. Bollag, and J. Dec. "Characteristics of Trametes villosa laccase adsorbed on aluminum hydroxide." Enzyme and Microbial Technology 41[1], 141-148. 2007. <br /> <br /> Balser, T.C., K. McMahon, D. Bart, D. Bronson, D. Coyle, N. Craig, M. Flores, K. Forshay, S. Jones, A. Kent, A. Shade. 2006. Bridging the gap between micro- and macroscale perspectives on ecosystem response to disturbance. Plant and Soil 289, 59-70 DOI 10.1007/s11104-006-9104-5<br /> <br /> Bird, S.B., J.E. Herrick, M.M. Wander and L. Murray. 2007. Multi-scale variability in soil aggregate stability: implications for understanding semi-arid grassland degradation. Geoderma. In press.<br /> <br /> Cespedes Leon,, C.M., A. Stone, and R. P. Dick. 2006. Organic soil amendments: impacts on snap bean common root rot and soil quality. Appl. Soil Ecol 31:199-210.<br /> <br /> Cespedes-Leon, M.C., A.G. Stone, and R. P. Dick, 2006. Organic soil amendments: impacts on snap bean common root rot and soil quality. Appl. Soil Ecol. 31:199-210<br /> <br /> Darby, H.M., A.G. Stone, and R.P. Dick, 2006. Compost and manure mediated impacts on soilborne pathogens and soil quality. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 70: 347-358.<br /> <br /> Dilling, L., Mitchell, R., Fairman, D., Lahsen, M., Moser, S., Patt, A., Potter, C., Rice, C., VanDeveer, S. How can we improve the usefulness of carbon science for decision-making? In: The First State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR): The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle. A Report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research [King, A., et al. (eds.)]. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Program Office, Silver Spring, MD, USA, In review.<br /> <br /> Fraterrigo, J.M., T.C. Balser, M.G. Turner. 2006. Microbial community variation and its relationship with nitrogen mineralization in historically altered forests, Ecology 87, 570-579.<br /> <br /> Garcia, J.P., Drijber, R., Wortmann, C.S., Mamo, M., Tarkalson, D. Occasional tillage of no-till systems reduces arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization of roots. Accepted by Agronomy Journal.<br /> <br /> Gehl, R.J. and C.W. Rice. 2007. Emerging technologies for in situ measurement of soil carbon. Climatic Change 80:43-54.<br /> <br /> Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Shores-Morrow, R.H., Wienhold, B.J. Distribution of the arbuscular mycorrhizal biomarker C16:1cis11 among neutral-, glycol- and phosphor-lipids extracted from soil during the reproductive growth of corn. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39:1589-1596.<br /> <br /> Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Wienhold, B.J. Increased abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil coincides with the reproductive stages of maize. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39:1401-1409.<br /> <br /> Grigera, M.S., Drijber, R.A., Wienhold, B.J. Redistribution of crop residues during row cultivation creates a biologically enhanced environment for soil microorganisms. Soil and Tillage Research 94:550-554.<br /> <br /> Horwath, W. R., 2007b. The Global C Cycle. E. Paul, Ed., In Soil Mirobiology, Ecology and Biochemistry. Academic Press, New York. <br /> <br /> Horwath, W.R. 2007a. Carbon cycling and formation of soil organic matter. In, Encyclopedia of Soil Science and Technology. W. Chesworth (Ed.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, the Netherlands.<br /> <br /> Izaurralde, R.C. and C.W. Rice, 2006: Methods and tools for designing pilot soil carbon sequestration projects. pp. 457-476. In R. Lal, C.C. Cerri, M. Bernoux, J. Etchvers, and E. Cerri. (eds.) Carbon Sequestration in Soils of Latin America. Food Products Press: The Haworth Press, Inc., Binghampton, NY.<br /> <br /> Jaynes DB, Olk DC, Colvin TS, Kaspar TC, and Karlen DL. 2007. Response to Comments on Need for a soil-based approach in managing nitrogen fertilizers for profitable corn production and Soil organic nitrogen enrichment following soybean in an Iowa corn-soybean rotation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 71:255.<br /> <br /> Kao, J., T. Balser. 200x. In press. The impact of nutrient availability on rhizosphere microbial communities under native and invasive Hawaiian forest species. Microbial Ecology xx:xxx<br /> <br /> Kao-Kniffin, J.T., and Balser, T.C., 2007. Elevated CO2 differentially alters belowground plant and soil microbial community structure in reed canary grass-invaded experimental wetlands. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39, 517-525.<br /> <br /> Kimble, J.M., C.W. Rice, D. Reed, S. Mooney, R.F. Follett, and R. Lal. 2007. Soil Carbon Management: Economic, Environmental and Societal Benefits. Taylor and Francis.<br /> <br /> Liang, C., H.W. Read, T.C. Balser. In review. Reliability of bacterial muramic acid as a biomarker influenced by methodological artefacts from streptomycin. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Submitted July _ 2007. <br /> <br /> Liang, C., R. Fujinuma, L. Wei, T.C. Balser. 2006. Tree species-specific effects on soil microbial residues in an upper Michigan old growth forest system. Forestry doi:10.1093/forestry/cpl035<br /> <br /> Liang, C., R. Fujinuma, T.C. Balser. In review. Comparing PLFA and amino sugars for microbial analysis in an upper Michigan old growth forest. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, xx-xxx Submitted July 22, 2007<br /> <br /> Liang, C., X. Zhang, K.F. Rubert IV, T.C. Balser. 2006. Effect of plant materials on microbial transformation of amino sugars in three soil microcosms. Biology and Fertility of Soil http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00374-006-0142-1<br /> <br /> Liang, C., X. Zhang, T.C. Balser, 2007. Net microbial amino sugars accumulation process in soil as influenced by different plant material inputs. Biology and Fertility of Soils DOI 10.1007/s00374-007-0170-5<br /> <br /> Lucas, R., B. Casper, J. Jackson, T. Balser. 2007. Nitrogen addition alters microbial community structure but not extracellular enzyme activity in New Jersey pinelands Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39, 2508-2519. <br /> <br /> Marriott, M.E, and M.M. Wander. 2006. Total and labile soil organic matter in organic farming systems. Soil Science Society of America. 70:950-959.<br /> <br /> Marriott, M.E, and M.M. Wander. 2006. Using qualitative and quantitative differences in particulate organic matter to assess fertility in organic and conventional farming systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 38:1527-1536.<br /> <br /> McCarl, B., F.B. Metting, and C.W. Rice. 2007. Soil carbon sequestration: Global potential, science needs, and land management impacts. Climate Change 80:1-3. <br /> <br /> Medeiros, P.M., M.F. Fernandes, R.P. Dick, and B.R.T. Simoneit, B.R.T Seasonal variations in sugar contents and microbial community in a ryegrass soil. Chemosphere (in press). <br /> <br /> Mentzer, J.L., R. Goodman, T.C. Balser. 2006. Linking soil process and microbial ecology in freshwater wetland ecosystems. Plant and Soil DOI 10.1007/s11104-006-9105-4<br /> <br /> Mentzer, J.L., R. Goodman, T.C. Balser. 2006. Microbial seasonal response to hydrologic and fertilization treatments in a simulated wet prairie. Plant and Soil 284 pp. 85-100. <br /> <br /> Miyazoe, Mikio. 2007. Cover Crop Effects on Root Rot of Sweet Corn and Soil Properties. MS thesis, Oregon State University. <br /> <br /> Murphy, M., T. Balser, N. Buchmann, V. Hanh, C. Potvin. 200x. In review. Linking tree biodiversity to belowground process in a young tropical plantation: impacts on soil CO2 flux. Intended for Plant and Soil. Revised and sent back to CP 7/11/06 STATUS as of 10/2006: Submitted 11/30/06, revised spring 2007, re-submitted Spring 2007<br /> <br /> Ochiai, N,, M. L. Powelson, F. J. Crowe and R.P. Dick. 2007. Effects of green manure type and amendment rate on Verticillium wilt severity and yield of Russet Burbank potato. Plant Disease (in press).<br /> <br /> Olk, D.C. 2007. Organic forms of nitrogen. In: EG Gregorich and MR Carter (eds.) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. (Page numbers currently unknown. Publication date August 2007).<br /> <br /> Olk, DC, Cassman KG, Schmidt-Rohr K, Anders MM, Mao J-D, and Deenik JL. 2006. Chemical stabilization of soil organic nitrogen by phenolic lignin residues in anaerobic agroecosystems. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 38:3303-3312.<br /> <br /> Olk, DC, Samson MI, and Gapas P. 2007. Inhibition of nitrogen mineralization in young humic fractions by anaerobic decomposition of rice crop residues. European Journal of Soil Science 58:270-281.<br /> <br /> Pendell, D.L., J.R. Williams, S.B. Boyles, C.W. Rice, and R.G. Nelson. 2007. Soil Carbon Sequestration Strategies with Alternative Tillage and Nitrogen Sources under Risk. Rev. Agric. Eco. 29:247-268<br /> <br /> Rice, C.W., K.P. Fabrizzi, and P.M. White, Jr. 2007. Benefits of soil organic carbon to physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Pp. 155-162. In Kimble, J.M., C.W. Rice, D. Reed, S. Mooney, R.F. Follett, and R. Lal. 2007. Soil Carbon Management: Economic, Environmental and Societal Benefits. Taylor and Francis.<br /> <br /> Rosen, CJ and DL Allan, 2007. Exploring the benefits of organic nutrient sources for crop production and soil quality. Hort Tech (in press).<br /> <br /> Schimel, J., T.C. Balser, M. Wallenstein, 2007. Stress Effects on Microbial Communities and the Implications for Ecosystem Function, Ecology 88, 1386-1394.<br /> <br /> Smith, P., D. Martino, Z. Cai, D. Gwary, H. Janzen, P. Kumar, B. McCarl, F. OMara, C. Rice, B. Scholes, O. Sirotenko, M. Howden, T. McAllister, S. Ogle, G. Pan, V. Romanenkov, U. Schneider, and S. Towprayoon. 2007. Policy and technological constraints to implementation of greenhouse gas mitigation options in agriculture. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 118:6-28. <br /> <br /> Smith, P., D. Martino, Z. Cai, D. Gwary, H. Janzen, P. Kumar, B. McCarl, F. OMara, C. Rice, B. Scholes, O. Sirotenko, M. Howden, T. McAllister, S. Ogle, G. Pan, V. Romanenkov, U. Schneider, S. Towprayoon M. Wattenbach and J. Smith. 2007. Greenhouse gas mitigation in agriculture. IPCC. <br /> <br /> Veenstra, J. J. W. R. Horwath and J. P. Mitchell. 2006. Conservation Tillage and Cover Cropping Effects on Total Carbon and Aggregate-Protected Carbon in Irrigated Cotton and Tomato Rotations. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 71: 362-371. <br /> <br /> Wander M.M., Yun W., Goldstein W.A., Aref, S., and S.A. Khan. 2007. Organic N and particulate organic matter fractions in organic and conventional farming systems with a history of manure application. Plant and Soil. 291:311-321.<br /> <br /> Wander, M.M. 2007. Los Suelos no mienten: Verdades dichas a través de ensayos de larga duración. Engormix.com. Online Journal. May, 2007.<br /> <br /> White, Jr., P.M., C.W. Rice, J.A. Baldock, and M.R. Tuinstra. 2007. Soil biological properties following additions of bmr mutant grain sorghum. Soil Biol. Biochem.39:1518-1532.<br /> <br /> Yoo, G. and M.M. Wander 2006. Influence of conventional and no tillage practices on soil structural controls over C mineralization. Soil Science Society of America 70: 651-659.<br /> <br /> Yoo, G. Nissen, T.M., and M.M. Wander. 2006. Use of physical properties to predict the effects of tillage practices on organic matter dynamics in three Illinois soils. JEQ 35: 576-583.<br /> <br /> Yoo, G., Spomer L.A. and M.M. Wander. 2006. Regulation of carbon mineralization rates by soil structure and moisture. 2006. Geoderma 135: 16-25.<br /> <br /> ABSTRACTS<br /> Duraisamy, V., R. K. Randhawa, and D. D. Archibald. "Simplified infrared spectroscopy-geographic information system approach for assessing the spatial variability of soil organic carbon in a landscape." The Tenth Annual Environmental Chemistry Student Symposium : The Pennsylvania State University : April 13th - 14th, 2007 , p. 14 (poster). <br /> <br /> Moon, J. B., D. H. Wardrop, and D. D. Archibald. "Spatial Variability of the Soil microhabitat in disturbed and undisturbed headwater wetlands of Pennsylvania." 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry : Annapolis, Maryland : April 1st - 4th, 2007 (poster).<br /> <br /> Randhawa, R. K. and D. D. Archibald. "Development of a diffuse reflectance mid-infrared spectroscopic technique to assess variability in the type of organic matter of dry screened soils." ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings : Indianapolis, Indiana : November 12th-16th, 2006 (poster). <br /> <br /> Resto-Roldan, M., N. Martinez-Villegas, D. D. Archibald, and C. E. Martinez. "Distribution of copper on model soil constituents." Environmental Chemistry/Chemical Ecology Summer Research Symposium : The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania : July 27th, 2006 (poster). <br />

Impact Statements

1. a. Received an extension grant for development of eOrganic, a National Extension Website (NRI Organic Grant) on organic agriculture. (Alex Stone and Michelle Wander)
2. b. Developed a Soil Quality Website, indicator development project (Michelle Wander, Rhae Drijber. Terri Balser, and Ann Marie Fortuna)
3. c. Research and educational meetings were held resulting in 90 contracts signed by Kansas Kansas producers with the Iowa Farm Bureau, representing nearly 100,000 acres. Overall, the Chicago Climate Exchange has 1250 contracts for soil carbon credits representing 802,000 acres in Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas at a current value of approximately $2.25 per acre per year ($1.8 million per year or nearly $7.2 million for a four year contract) (Rice)

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Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Met jointly with NCERA-3, "Soil Survey". <br /> <br /> Among the outcomes that occurred in 2007 was the awarding of additional funding from U.S.A.I.D. as part of the SANREM-CRSP for a multi-country comparison of soil quality measurements focusing on soil organic carbon fractions.<br /> <br /> From 2006 through June 2008, approximately 10540 acres of cropland, undisturbed native grassland and CRP of a wide range of age classes were sampled for carbon (C) in the surface 30-cm of the soil. <br /> <br /> Research has revolved around biodiversity and structure of microbial communities applied in a variety of settings that have included C sequestration in forest and ag soils, shrub-crop systems of West Africa, and natural suppression of soil borne diseases. Some of these are related to manipulations of organic inputs and rhizosphere dynamics. Research is proceeding on tracking 13C through methanotrophs during methane oxidation in wetlands. Studies on microbial controls on C sequestration and developing methods to track 13C into lipid biomarkers are in process.<br /> <br /> Organizing Committee Chair of the conference - Enzymes in the Environment: Ecology, Activity and Applications, July 15-19, 2007, Viterbo, Italy.<br />

Publications

Cihacek, L. J., and K.A. Jacobson. 2007. Effects of soil sample grinding intensity on carbon determination by high-temperature combustion. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 38(13):1733-1739.<br /> <br /> Conant, R.T., R.A. Drijber, M.L. Haddix, W.J. Parton, E.A. Paul, A.F. Plante, J. Six, and J.M. Steinweg. 2008. Sensitivity of organic matter decomposition to warming varies with its quality. Global Change Biology 14:868-877.<br /> <br /> Fang, M., P.P. Motavalli, R.J. Kremer, and K.A. Nelson. 2007. Assessing changes in soil microbial communities and carbon mineralization in Bt and non-Bt corn residue-amended soils. Applied Soil Ecology 37:150-160.<br /> <br /> Goyne, K.W., H.J. Jun, S.H. Anderson, and P.P. Motavalli. 2008. Phosphorus and nitrogen sorption to soils in the presence of poultry litter-derived dissolved organic matter. J. Environ. Qual. 37:154-163.<br /> <br /> Kandeler, E., and R.P.Dick. 2007. Soil enzymes: Spatial distribution and function in agroecosystems. In G. Benckiser and S. Schnell (eds) Biodiversity in Agricultural Production Systems. CRC Taylor Francis. 2007. Chapter 15. p.263-287.<br /> <br /> Lee Y.B., N. Lorenz, L. K. Dick, and R. P. Dick. 2007. Cold storage and pretreatment incubation: Effects on soil microbial properties. Soil Sci. Soc. J. 71:12991305.<br /> <br /> Liang, Z, R.A. Drijber, D.J. Lee, I.M. Dwiekat, S.D. Harris, and D.A. Wedin. 2008. A DGGE-cloning method to characterize arbuscular mycorrhizal community structure in soil. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 40:956-966.<br /> <br /> Miller, G., M. Mamo, R. Drijber, C. Wortmann, and R. Renken. Sorghum growth, root responses, and soil solution aluminum and manganese in pH stratified sandy soil. Accepted by Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, July 2007.<br /> <br /> Moore-Kucera, J., and R. P. Dick. 2008. A pulse-chase method to 13Carbon-label douglas-fir seedlings for decomposition studies. Soil Science. 173:46-53. <br /> <br /> Motavalli, P.P., J. Aguilera, C. Valdivia, M. Garcia, E. Jimenez, J.A. Cusicanqui, and R. Miranda. 2007. Changes in soil organic C and N due to climate change and socioeconomic factors in potato-based cropping systems in the Bolivian Highlands. Agron. Abstr., American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI. [non-paginated CD-ROM].<br /> <br /> Ochiai, N., M. L. Powelson, F. J. Crowe, and R.P. Dick. 2008. Green manure effects on soil quality in relation to suppression of verticillium wilt of potatoes. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 91:400-406.<br /> <br /> Quincke, J.A., C.S. Wortmann, M. Mamo, T. Franti, and R.A. Drijber. 2007. Occasional tillage of no-till systems: Carbon dioxide flux and changes in total and labile soil organic carbon. Agronomy Journal 99:1158-1168. <br /> <br /> Quincke, J.A., C.S. Wortmann, M. Mamo, T. Franti, R.A. Drijber, and J.P. Garcia. 2007. One-time tillage of no-till systems: Soil physical properties, phosphorus runoff, and crop yield. Agronomy Journal 99:1104-1110.<br /> <br /> Unger, I.M., R.M. Muzika, P.P. Motavalli, and J. Kabrick. 2008. Evaluation of continuous in situ monitoring of soil changes with varying flooding regimes. Comm. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 39(11 & 12), 1600-1619.<br />

Impact Statements

1. Models are being developed to describe the rate of C sequestration in grasslands in each of these areas. These models will demonstrate the C sequestration potential of soils across the region with respect to the effects of climatic gradients (both temperature and rainfall) on C accretion.
2. This information will aid in establishing more accurate carbon credits for grasslands that will assist scientists, public policy makers, government and non-government agencies and land owners and operators in making land management decisions related to utilizing soils and land areas for sequestering C to mitigate global climate change.

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Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Developed materials for K-12 teacher education and lesson plans for pre-college students as well as in-service training about these materials for Extension educators.<br /> <br /> Co-organized a special symposium for 2009 Soil Science of America annual meetings. Title: Linking soil enzyme activities to ecosystem functions. Includes 8 invited speakers.<br /> <br /> Developed models to describe the rate of C sequestration in grasslands across 5 states located in the prairie pothole region of the northern Great Plains area.<br /> <br /> Continued collaborative coordination with eOrganic working group.<br /> <br /> Met with colleagues located in China to develop an educational exchange focusing on the management of soil organic matter.<br /> <br /> Hosted a multi-state meeting of Extension educators and agricultural consultants from the north central region in August 2009. The meeting focused on farmer adoption of organic-N management.<br />

Publications

See listing of journal and non-refereed articles in individual state reports which are included in committee meeting minutes or see the attached file.

Impact Statements

1. Examination of the transformation of microbial products during decomposition suggest that there may be a trend of slower initial decomposition of bacteria gram (+) and possibly a long-term persistence or stabilization of fungi in soil. (see California state report)
2. Studies to determine the effect of common agricultural management practices on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from subsurface tile drains suggest that lagoon effluent application and fertilizer N rates do not affect long-term losses of DPC from tile drains.
3. Models developed to assess the rate of carbon sequestration in grasslands assist public officials and land managers in establishing more accurate carbon credits for grassland soils.

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Participants

See Attached.

Brief Summary of Minutes

See Attached.

Accomplishments

Co-sponsored Symposia on Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Dynamics in Agricultural Lands with Divisions S-03, S-05, S-06, and NC-1078 at the 2009 Soil Science Society of America Meetings in Pittsburgh, PA on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. Several members made poster and oral presentations (KS, ND, USDA-ARS).<br /> <br /> Co-sponsored a symposium on Microbial and Humic Amendments: Advances in Understanding Their Effects on Soils and Plants with Divisions S-03, S-04, S-08 and the International Humic Substances Society at the 2009 Soil Science Society of America Meetings in Pittsburgh, PA on Monday, November 2, 2009. <br /> <br /> Initial differences in microbial group C stabilization have been observed, however, after 2 years there is no significant difference in C stabilization by fungi, actinomycetes, and gram- and gram+ bacteria. (CA)<br /> <br /> At a temperate climatic site, the amount of input microbial 13C recovered in whole soils in the application depth (0 to 7.5 cm) far exceeded that recovered in the soil depth immediately below it (7.5 to 15 cm); whereas for a wetter tropical site, nearly 1/3 of remaining input C was recovered in the lower depths. (CA)<br /> <br /> Despite substantial differences in microbial C turnover between California and Puerto Rico soils, this effect was only apparent in the light fraction not the occluded and mineral-associated fractions, which highlights the importance of the soil mineral matrix for protecting microbial carbon. (CA)<br /> <br /> Plant litter diversity changes soil organic matter enthalpic characteristics with higher energy associated with diverse litter inputs versus monoculture forest stands. These results have implication for long-term soil C storage and the sustainability of plantation forests. (CA)<br /> <br /> Evaluated DOC and nutrient movement through soils where manure is applied to soils with increased DOC concentrations observed only during the first rainfall event indicating preferential macropore transport. (IN)<br /> <br /> Evaluated carbon and nutrient loading in drainages in urban and rural watersheds demonstrating the value of long term record keeping of flow and nutrient values in watersheds. (IN)<br /> <br /> Evaluated DOC movement in soils under individual grassland plant species and in mixed grasslands having potential for biofuels biomass production. (ND)<br /> <br /> Developed methodology using 13C to track processes in methanotrophs during methane Oxidation and to track 13C in lipid biomarkers to study microbial controls n C sequestration. (OH)<br /> <br /> Evaluated methodology for total soil carbon by visible, NIR and FTIR analysis in the lab and the field for assessing soil C sequestration. (PA)<br /> <br /> Involved in developing a proposal for a NASA Venture proposal for regional soil carbon assessment. (PA and KS)<br /> <br /> Evaluated biogas treatment of dairy effluent and mixed wastes to reduce the potential of nitrous oxide emissions relative to urea and untreated dairy wastes. (WA)<br /> <br /> Evaluated use of dairy wastes to replace fertilizer N requirements and fertigation with dairy wastes to reduce the requirement for irrigation water. (WA)<br /> <br /> Conducted outreach and trained scientists through the NSF's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship. (WA)<br />

Publications

See state reports in annual meeting minutes.

Impact Statements

1. Soil C is stabilized by a variety of organisms and is not specifically related to one type of microorganism (i.e., fungi, actinomycetes or bacteria).
2. The soil mineral matrix is very important in protecting microbial carbon.
3. Long term documentation is necessary in monitoring significant changes in nutrient loading and flow in watersheds.
4. Improved instrumental methods for determining soil C can improve assessment of soil C sequestration.
5. Models developed to assess the rate of carbon sequestration in grasslands assist public officials and land managers in establishing more accurate carbon credits for grassland soils.

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Participants

Members Present:

William Horwath, CA;
Michelle Wander, IL;
Ronald Turco, IN (Administrative Advisor);
Deborah Allen, MN;
Rhae Drijber, NE;
Larry Cihacek, ND;
Stephen Machado, OR;
Ann Marie Fortuna, WA;
Matt Ruark, WI;

Members Absent:

Charles Rice, KS;
Raymond Weil, MD;
Seglinde Snapp, MI;
Peter Motavalli, MO;
Robert Tate, NJ;
Richard Dick, OH;
Douglas Archibald, PA;
Dan Olk, USDA-ARS;

Guests:

Chelsea Pickett, WA

Brief Summary of Minutes

Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting:
NCERA 59 Meeting Minutes June 27-28, 2011.
Recorded by Rhae Drijber, edited by Larry Cihacek

Monday, June 27, 2011

Morning Session:
" Introductions by current and new members. Need to update current membership. Individuals that have not attended for several years need to be asked whether they still want to participate.
" Discussion of 2010 minutes.
" Discussion of renewal acceptance
" State reports: submit to Larry by the third week of August. Use template to format.
" Updates by members:
o Larry: Handed out his state report. Discussed his research on water soluble C in soils planted to grass species used for biofuel production and its relationship to C sequestration. Two new positions released at ND State.
o Ann Marie: Overview of her projects of relevance to this committee. Organic vegetable cropping systems research with amendments. Examined N and C pools as well as ammonia oxidizers. Introduced her new graduate student Chelsea and the research she will be conducting on Dave Huggins field experiment in the Palouse.
o Will: Review published in SBB on N utilization by microbes. Relationship of C/N ratio to N uptake into humic substances. Instrumentation focus. Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. Delta project.
o Rhae: Updated committee on mycorrhizal function in high yield maize-soybean systems. Long-term N rate trial did not show suppression of AMF biomass or diversity despite application rates up to 300 kg/ha.
o Stephen: Research on long-term sustainable cropping systems on the Pendleton experimental station.
o Matt: Took over for Teri Balser. Extension focus on N management.
o Michelle: E-extension/E-organic. Partner with SC083 organic group for symposia on organic ag. Current research on indicators and mechanisms. Focus on long-term experimental systems. Marsden farming system trials.
o Debra: Plant biomass removal rates, tillage, nutrient removal (S and micronutrients). Cover crops. Tried rye after corn for N capture/erosion control  no go due to establishment issues. Ways to manage alfalfa not being used for hay due to reduced animal component. Soil C increasing under forest in MN but decreasing under cropping.
o Ron: Biomass studies and biology. Water quality. Denitrification in surface waters and soluble C, also in drain tiles. Pesticide degradation studies. Pathogen survival in artificial turf. Nanometals.


Afternoon Session:

" Afternoon Tour of Organic Systems trial http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/soilmgmt/ and Low Input Development (LID) Stormwater Program http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/stormwater/

" Return to meeting room at 3:15 PM
" Update on Washington: Ron Turco

Discussion of Ideas for Collaboration
" Method book?
" Indicators-white paper on dynamic properties
" Water soluble C & N lab comparison (Larry)
" Symposia for 2012
" Symposia for 2011: Several members of our committee are presenters in the Doran symposium
" Rhae will take the lead on a review paper linking measures of active C and N to microbial processes. What do we currently know?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Morning Session:

2012 Meeting:
" Next years meeting in Fargo during the week of June 18, 2012. Secondary date during the week of June 25, 2012.
" Possibility of meeting with another committee in the future?

Continuing Discussion on Collaboration/Projects
" Methods book support from ASA. What methods have been significantly changed and or are new since the brown volumes.
" The committee then spent the remainder of the morning flushing out an outline for the book.

Vision for book: Provide in one volume details on linkages between methods and concepts

Section 1: Concepts in SOM
" Historical perspective
" Recap of existing reviews/books etc, including brown volumes
" Whats new, whats changed
" Function/relevance

Section 2: Methods
" Chemical
" Physical
" Biological
" Whole soils/spectroscopic

Section 3: Function/Relevance
" C-Pool dynamics
" Food webs
" Interactions among element cycles

" Diversity
" Controls on NPP
" Physical roles (sorption)
" SOM & environment
" Integration and future SOM work (needs)

Flushing out of Methods Section:

Chemical methods:
" Wet chemical
" Combustion
" Colorimetric
" Volumetric
"
Physical methods:
" Aggregation
" Fractions
" Density
"
Biological methods:
" Fatty acids, biomarkers
" DNA (lots)
" CFIM
" Plate counts
" Enzymes
" QPCR
" RT
" 454
" Biochips
" Mineralization

Instrumentation:
" Mass spec
" NMR
" FTIR
" Calorimetry
" Pyrolysis

Time Line:
Today: June 28, 2011
October 16, 2011: San Antonio:
" Have outline flushed out by doing prior investigation into existing books, reviews, papers etc. Preliminary thoughts on authors

June 2012: Fargo
" Draft of section 1 for discussion

Oct/Nov 2012: Cincinnati
" Authors selected and given time lines

June 28, 2013: Nebraska
" First drafts due prior to meetings
" Discussion of drafts at NE meeting

Ron looking into a share-point software

Late Morning:
" Field trip to Low Impact Storm Water Program.

Afternoon: Trip to Seattle

ANNUAL REPORTS:


Institution: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS;
Committee Representative: WILLIAM R. HORWATH


Introduction:
My activities have addressed objectives 1 and 2. I continue processes affecting the stability and maintenance of carbon and nitrogen in soils. I have used a number of analytical methods including physical fractionation and pyrolysis mass spectrometer/isotope ratio mass spectrometer, differential scanning calorimeter and enzyme turnover and production to follow the fate of soil carbon and nitrogen. During the last year we concluded a number of studies on soil enzymes with a specific emphasis on proteases.

Microorganisms are able to utilize nitrogen (N) from a wide range of organic and mineral compounds. We published a series of papers on the regulation of the enzyme systems involved in the acquisition of N and proposed a conceptual model on the factors affecting the relative importance of organic and mineral N uptake. Most of the N input into soil is in the form of polymers, which first have to be broken down into smaller units by extracellular enzymes. The small organic molecules released by the enzymes can then be taken up directly or degraded further and the N taken up as ammonium (NH4+). When NH4+ is available at high concentrations, the utilization of alternative N sources, such as nitrate (NO3-) and organic molecules, is generally repressed. In contrast, when the NH4+ availability is low, enzyme systems for the acquisition of alternative N sources are de-repressed and the presence of a substrate can induce their synthesis. These mechanisms are known as N regulation. It is often assumed that most organic N is mineralized to NH4+ before uptake in soil. This pathway is generally known as the mineralization-immobilization-turnover (MIT) route. An advantage of the MIT route is that only one transporter system for N uptake is required. However, organic N uptake has the advantage that, in addition to N, it supplies energy and carbon (C) to sustain growth. Recent studies have shown that the direct uptake of organic molecules can significantly contribute to the N nutrition of soil microorganisms. We hypothesize that the relative importance of the direct and MIT route during the decomposition of residues is determined by three factors, namely the form of N available, the source of C, and the avail- ability of N relative to C. The regulation system of soil microorganisms controls key steps in the soil N cycle and is central to determining the outcome of the competition for N between soil microorganisms and plants. More research is needed to determine the relative importance of the direct and MIT route in soil as well as the factors affecting the enzyme systems required for these two pathways.

Major findings:

1. Ammonium, an important nitrogen (N) source for microorganisms, is assimilated via two major pathways; one route is catalyzed by glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), while the other mechanism involves two enzymes, glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT). With increasing C to N ratios from 5 to 120, GS activity doubled, while C to N ratios higher than 120 did not further increase GS activity. In contrast, GDH activity decreased by 13% with increasing C to N ratios from 5 to 200. The GDH to GS activity ratio in soil may therefore yield valuable information about the availability of N relative to C at a specific time.
2. A large proportion of the nitrogen (N) in soil is in the form of proteinaceous material. Its breakdown requires the activity of extracellular proteases and other decomposing enzymes. During this substrate induced phase, the addition of glucose but not NHþ4 resulted in protease repression, indicating that the level of protease synthesis was determined by the need for C rather than N. The results emphasize the close links between the microbially mediated cycles of organic C and N.
3. Soil microorganisms can use a wide range of nitrogen (N) compounds. When organic N sources are degraded, microorganisms can either take up simple organic molecules directly (direct route), or organic N may be mineralized first and taken up in the form of mineral N (mineralizationimmobilization turnover [MIT] route). Our results suggest that in contrast to what is proposed by many models of soil N cycling, both the direct and MIT routes were operative, with the direct route being the preferred route of residue N uptake. Up to 62% of N uptake was attributed to directly assimilating organic N. An important implication of these findings is that when the direct route is dominant, gross N mineralization underestimates the amount of N made available from the residue.

Relevant Publications:
Geisseler D, WR Horwath, RG Joergensen and B Ludwig. 2010. Pathways of nitrogen utilization by soil microorganisms - A review. Soil Biology & Biochemistry. 42: 2058-2067.

Geisseler, D, Horwath WR, Scow KM. 2011. Soil moisture and plant residue addition interact in their effect on extracellular enzyme activity. Pedbiologia. 54: 71-78.

Mailapalli DR, Wallender WW, Burger M, Horwath WR. 2011. Effects of field length and management practices on dissolved organic carbon export in furrow irrigation. Agriculture Water management. 98: 29-37.


Institution: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS;
Committee Representative: MICHELLE WANDER

This year work completed that is of interest to the committee has been conducted in the Marsden plots in central Iowa. This was a MS project conducted by Patricia Lazicki. At this site crop yields and input use efficiency have been increased by the use of longer and more diversified rotations and reduced chemical inputs. We sampled roots and soil parameters at multiple dates and two depths in all cropping phases, in order to quantify changes in physical, chemical and biological soil quality indicators and root responses associated with tillage and cropping factors in a conventional and two LEI rotations of different lengths and including different legume species. Improvements in soil quality indicators and plant productivity were expected to be driven by the amount and placement of organic residues and to fluctuate with tillage and cropping phase. On a system basis, particulate organic carbon (POM-C) and potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) were increased in both LEI rotations relative to a two year (2-yr) corn (Zea mays L.) -soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation. Biologically labile organic matter fractions were highly stratified in the 2-yr rotation compared to the LEI rotations and the lower depth of the 2-yr rotation was consistently depleted. Corn roots followed a similar pattern, being concentrated in the top depth in the 2-yr rotation while more fully exploring the profile in the LEI rotations. Low C:N ratios in the soybean roots in the LEI rotations suggest greater N availability in the LEI soybean phase. Soil parameters did not differ between LEI rotations even though the 3-yrrotation included red clover (Trifolium pratense L. instead of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), a shorter rotation length, and significantly greater mean annual organic inputs than did the 4-yr rotation. Corn yield in the 3-yr LEI rotation was significantly higher than that achieved in the 2-yr conventional rotation, and soybean yield in the 4-yr rotation was higher than that in the 2-yr rotation. Seasonal sampling showed that 1) soil parameters fluctuated during the growing season but did not increase in response to particular cropping phases and 2) that the stratification observed in the 2-yr rotation was consistent over time for both corn and soybean. The practice most responsible for increasing soil quality and plant performance in the LEI rotations appeared to be the deep incorporation of compost and green manures prior to corn production. This practice benefited both corn and soybean, primarily by increasing the amount and distribution of nutrients available to roots as evidenced by greater POM-C and PMN levels in the subsoil.


Relevant Publications:
Witzling, L., M.Wander. and E. Phillips. 2011. Testing and educating on urban soil lead: A case of Chicago community gardens. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development . doi:10.5304/jafscd.2010.012.015.

Yoo, G., Yang X. and M. Wander. 2011. Influence of soil aggregation on soil organic carbon sequestration: A preliminary model of SOC protection by aggregate dynamics. Ecological Engineering.

Wander M.M. 2011. Sustainable agriculture in the Great Lakes region; In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture II. Christine Jakobsson (ed). Baltic University Press pp. 263-271.

Feher, S. and M.M. Wander. 2011. Assessment of sustainable land use. In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture III. Christine Jakobsson and Jeff Levengood. (eds.) Baltic University Press.


Additional Outcomes:
Founding member and continuing participant in eOrganics leadership team.

Member of the Leonardo Academys Sustainable Agriculture Standard development committee charged with crafting an innovative standard that provides a clear, continuous improvement framework for advancing sustainable agriculture practices.


Institution: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA;
Committee Representative: RHAE DRIJBER

My research program aims to quantify microbial community structure and function using newer biochemical (i.e. lipids) and molecular approaches in both natural and agroecosystems. Ecosystems under study include intensively managed cropping systems, organic agriculture and rangelands. Current projects include:

" Spatial and temporal dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in high production corn systems. Our research confirms carbon allocation to AM fungi from corn during the reproductive stages of growth. Evidence suggests a role in P acquisition given a significant proportion of P is taken up from the soil during this period. We have recently developed a combined DGGE-Cloning Method to elucidate AM ribotypes significant to this process. Current research is focused on the impact of N and P rate on the diversity and colonization rate of roots by AM fungi in field-grown maize and soybean.
" Cover crops are becoming increasing attractive to farmers in Nebraska for soil conservation and nutrient supply. For organic farmers, weeds are the number one issue and cover crops may play a role in weed suppression. To investigate this we are examining several cover crop mixtures and methods/timing of termination on weed establishment and control in an organically managed field. We are also investigating the role of the soil microbial community in weed suppression.
" Soil biology has been overlooked in the forensic science arena in lieu of soil chemical and physical soil properties. To address this lack we are investigating whether high throughput DNA analysis and microbial fatty acid fingerprinting of soil microbial communities may be useful to crime scene investigation. A first step in this process is establishment of robust sampling and storage protocols that will hold up in a court of law.
" Recent completion of a Grassland Destabilization Experiment (GDEX), http://sandhills-biocomplexity.unl.edu , attributed short-term geomorphic stability of the Nebraska Sand Hills to below ground processes, where root detritus, soil organic matter (SOM) and microbial activity persisted into the third and fourth years of the study. This resilience could not be explained by extensive soil aggregation or large pools of stabilized SOM, both absent from this ecosystem. Rather, it appears to be a legacy of the former grassland root system.
" Vulnerability of soil organic matter to temperature changes: exploring constraints due to substrate decomposability and microbial community structure. This NSF funded project examines the impact of temperature on the decomposability of soil organic matter fractions. Our research indicates that the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition increases with decreasing SOM lability. Furthermore, shifts in microbial community composition are consistent among soils spanning several latitudes and cropping systems indicating similar adaptive processes to temperature across wide geographical regions.

Relevant Publications:
Higo, M., K. Isobe, D.-J. Kang, K. Ujiie, R.A. Drijber, R. Ishii. 2010. Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or crop rotation with mycorrhizal plants improves the growth of maize in limed acid sulfate soil. Plant Production Science, Vol. 13, pp.74-79.
Okalebo, J., Yuen, G.Y., Drijber, R.A., Blankenship, E., Eken, C., Lindquist, J. 2011.Biological suppression of velvetleaf (Abuliton theophrasti) in an Eastern Nebraska soil. Weed Science 59:155-161.
Haddix, M.L., Plante, A.F., Conant, R.T., Paul, E.A., Six, J., Steinweg, M.J., Magrini-Bair, K., Drijber, R.A., Morris, S.J. 2011. The role of soil characteristics on temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75:56-68.
Tian, H., Drijber, R.A., Niu, X.S., Zhang, J.L., Li, X.L. 2011. Spatio-temporal dynamics of an indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in an intensively managed maize agroecosystem in north China. Applied Soil Ecology 47:141-152.
Additional Outcomes:
Chair of S3: Soil Biology and Biochemistry in the Soil Science Society of America.

Organizer of S3 program for the SSSA annual meetings in Long Beach, CA, October 31-November 4, 2010.


Institution: NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY;
Committee Representative: LARRY CIHACEK

During 2009, a study was initiated on evaluating contribution of individual mixed grassland plant species to soil carbon sequestration when the grassland is utilized for biofuels production at locations in southeastern, central and western North Dakota. Eight individual grass and forb species were evaluated at the southeastern North Dakota location; six mixed species compositions were evaluated at the central North Dakota site; and three species were evaluated in western North Dakota. Soils were evaluated to a depth of 1m for total organic C as well as water soluble organic C (WSOC). Initial results indicate that up to 7 % of the total organic C in soils is WSOC. Cool season species and forbs tend to have more WSOC in the profile than warm season species (Table 1).
Additional work evaluating field note data in relation to SOC from 1163 selected sample sites collected in a previous study from over 1400 sites across the northern Great Plains was conducted using regression analysis of vegetation, slope and aspect factors with soil OC data. Initially, the data used eight (8) classes of vegetation, four (4) slope classes, and nine (9) aspect classes. A first level analysis allowed combining the data into our (4) vegetation classes, two (2) slope classes, and five (5) aspect classes (Table 2). Further analysis of the data indicated that the highest SOC values could be found at sites that had only cool season grasses present, a slope on < 3 %, and little or no distinct slope aspect (Tables 3, 4, and 5)

Impacts:
This research will be used in models to demonstrate the C sequestration potential of soils across the region with respect to the effects of climatic gradients (both temperature and rainfall) on C accretion.

This information will aid in establishing more accurate carbon credits for grasslands that will assist scientists, public policy makers, government and non-government agencies and land owners and operators in making land management decisions related to utilizing soils and land areas for sequestering C to mitigate global climate change.

Publications:
Mahli, S. S., R. L. Lemke, M. A. Liebig, B. McConkey, J. J. Schoenau, L. J. Cihacek, and C. Campbell. 2010. Management strategies and practices for increasing storage of organic C and N in soil in cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains of North America. pp. 325-284. In S. S. Mahli, Y. Gan, J. J. Schoenau, R. L. Lemke and M. A. Liebig (eds.), Recent Trends in Soil Science and Agronomy Research in the Northern Great Plains of North America. Research Signpost Press, Kerala, India.


Institution: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY;
Committee Representative: RICHARD DICK

Research has revolved around biodiversity and structure of microbial communities applied in a variety of settings that have included C sequestration in forest and ag soils, shrub-crop systems of West Africa, methane oxidation in wetlands, and impacts of long-term use of glyphosate on microbial communities and functions. Some of these are related to manipulations of organic inputs and rhizosphere dynamics. Research is proceeding on tracking 13C through methanotrophs during methane oxidation in wetlands. Studies on microbial controls on C sequestration and developing methods to track 13C into lipid biomarkers are in process.


Institution: THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY;
Committee Representative: DOUGLAS D. ARCHIBALD

My activities in this area focus on improving and applying spectral analytical techniques for analysis of soil organic matter and related materials for agricultural and ecological studies that must assess large numbers of specimens. A part of this effort is analysis of total soil organic carbon by visible, NIR and FTIR analysis conducted in the lab or field. Another part applies laboratory spectroscopic techniques to characterize soil fractions, organic and inorganic, derived by simple extraction procedures.
The lab contributed to Ecology grad student M. Goebel's publication on the nature of tree root decomposition and turnover, and worked with him to develop some efficient FTIR techniques to characterize the molecular variation in his large collection of decomposed root tissue from a litter-bag study. Similarly, the lab worked with Ecology grad student J. Moon to finalize and apply analytical protocols and programming for integrating robotic-pipetting, gravimetric-analysis and microplate-FTIR to enable semi-automated high-throughput analysis of polar extractables from soil. One of the benefits of this approach is that this soil assay seems to provide a good estimate of labile organic matter content.
Agronomy grad student V. Duraisamy presented analysis of the depthwise variation in bulk density in a large set of soil cores from a long-term cropping systems trial in central Pennsylvania. The soil archive, data sets and methods are now poised for a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of the applied cropping systems on C and N distribution. With the help of undergrad S. Meckler the lab applied lessons from this work toward the design and detailed specification of a mobile field lab that integrated a portable FTIR, a handheld optical spectrometer, GPS devices, barcoding and databases for rapid and inexpensive at-site assessment of the depthwise distribution of soil carbon and other nutrients in soil cores taken for landscape studies and carbon crediting. Significantly, a component of this achieved a low-cost paperless system for logging field sample identities, depths and GPS positions into a database that can also be populated with data from automated lab analyzers. The scheme was proposed to The Rodale Institute and their scientists, including E. Viglione and A. Grantham, worked with us to demonstrate the system and refine it for initial application in their long-term Farming System Trial in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The technical findings were presented twice at meetings, are described in three articles in The Rodale Institute's 'New Farm' web magazine, and helped fulfill the final component Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, PA Department of Environmental Protection grant received by The Rodale Institute.


Relevant Publications:
1. M. Goebel, S. E. Hobbie, B. Bulaj, M. Zadworny, D. D. Archibald, J. Oleksyn, P. B. Reich and D. M. Eissenstat. "Decomposition of the finest root branching orders: Linking carbon and nutrient dynamics belowground to fine root function and structure." Ecological Monographs 81[1], 89-102. 2011.
2. "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 2. Mobile field lab to measure soil carbon," by Elaine Viglione, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 4-14-2010, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100414_Making_carbon_crediting_really_work_for_farmers).
3. "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 3. Making in-field carbon measurement a reality," by Elaine Viglione, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 7-28-2011, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100728_making-carbon-crediting-really-work-for-farmers-part-3).
4. "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 4. Streamlining the data, lessons learned, taking the lab to farms," by Elaine Viglione and Christi Gabriel, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 12-01-2010, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20101201_making-carbon-crediting-really-work-for-farmers-part4).


Institution: PURDUE UNIVERSITY;
Committee Representative: RONALD TURCO
Report:
Our recent work has continued on artificial subsurface drainage as it is commonly used in Midwestern agriculture. Artificial subsurface drainage in cropland creates pathways
for nutrient movement into surface water; quantification of the relative impacts of common and theoretically improved management systems on these nutrient losses remains incomplete. This study was conducted to assess diverse management effects on long-term patterns (19982006) of NO3, NH4, and PO43 loads (L). We monitored water flow and nutrient concentrations at subsurface drains in lysimeter plots planted to continuous corn (Zea mays L.) (CC), both phases of cornsoybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations (corn, CS; soybean, SC), and restored prairie grass (PG). This long-term study suggests a controlling role for the time of manure addition on nutrient losses. Our results indicated that annually repeated, fall-applied liquid swine manure creates an unfavorable environmental scenario for manure disposal in subsurface-drained cropland. Manure management options that could probably optimize plant N use, and hence decrease the LNO3, include manure sidedressing. It also remains unknown if a reduced application rate of fall manure could result in environmental effects comparable to that of manure additions at sidedress or preplant. In our study, however, the N management aspects of corn-based systems including UAN application timings and rates and the N source (manure vs. UAN) did not impact the LNO3outcome. Likewise, relative to continuous corn, cornsoybean rotations did not represent any advantage for diminishing the LNO3. This suggests the need for additional mitigation strategies to achieve any further improvements in water quality results such as the use of nitrification inhibitors, winter cover crops, more complex crop rotations, and multifunctional landscapes. Furthermore, because our study demonstrated that, in general, drainage flow is a major determinant of how much NO3 is lost from cropped fields, controlled drainage management could, in principle, also be implemented as a supplementary method for reducing drainage flow and hence decreasing nutrient losses.

Relevant Publications:
Habteselassie, M., M. Bischoff, B. Applegate, B. Reuhs, and R. F. Turco. 2010. Understanding the role of agricultural practices in the potential colonization and contamination by E. coli in rhizosphere of fresh produce. Journal of Food Protection. 73: 2001-2009.
Hernandez-Ramirez, G., S. M. Brouder, M. D. Ruark, and R. F. Turco. 2011. Nitrate, phosphate, and ammonium loads at subsurface drains: agroecosystems and nitrogen management. Journal of Environmental Quality 40: 1-12.


Institution: WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY;
Committee Representative: ANN-MARIE FOTUNA

This year my work addressed NCERA-59 objectives 1, 2 and 3. My research at WSU integrates microbial ecology, molecular biology, biogeochemistry and long-term ecosystems management. My program objectives contribute to: the development of novel cropping systems and land-use managements that maintain and promote efficient cycling of N and C; provide management guidelines to growers that improve N use efficiency and management by integrating information on microbial community structure and function; and utilize molecular techniques to study soil processes at field and ecosystem scales. These efforts will contribute to greater acreage in sustainable managements: no-till, mixed cropping and perennial systems, more efficient use of wastes and organic amendments resulting in a measurable reduction in waste and improvements in N use. My basic research will improve our understanding of the microbiology of N cycling, which may lead to further reductions in N losses and increased nitrogen use efficiency.

Research funded via a USDA-STEEP grant focused on nutrient cycling, nitrogen use efficiency and carbon storage (objective 1). My research incorporates measurements of soil quality and nitrogen indexes with geospatial information collected annually for ten years at reference sites across landscape position under direct seed and varying alternative rotation managements. This research determines which land-use and management practices have the greatest impact on soil quality and nitrogen cycling.

An additional cover crop project that included a masters student focused on predicting nutrient release from mixtures of rye and hairy vetch cover crops (objective 2) in situ and via potentially mineralizable nitrogen in laboratory incubations.


I have conducted additional cross-disciplinary research via a masters students project that includes faculty from Animal Science. We looked at pathogen loading/die off, nitrogen use efficiency in forage systems receiving digested and undigested dairy waste, as well as, provide estimates of gaseous loss of ammonia and nitrous oxide (objective 1). The research was funded through the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Dairy Association. This experiment provided valuable research and information that growers could utilize.

Relevant Publications


Additional Outcomes:

Committee on Organic & Sustainable Agriculture, ASA, ACS238 (work with Michelle Wander on this committee and NCERA059)


Institution: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON;
Committee Representative: TERI BALSER


" Soil carbon and feedbacks to climate change. We are interested in the role of microbial communities in soil carbon turnover and sequestration. We have projects in California, Wisconsin and in Borneo looking at the importance of microbial community structure and activity in carbon cycling. In addition, we have an ongoing project to study the role of temperature stress in determining microbial utilization of soil carbon. We have a postdoctoral researcher and two current PhD candidates focused in this area.
" Ecology of nitrogen cycling. We study microbial community control over nitrogen cycling in terrestrial systems such as restored wetlands, and tropical and temperate forests. Study sites have included the UW Arboretum, in California and in the Hawaiian Islands. This work will contribute information about the mechanistic basis of nitrogen cycling in perturbed ecosystems. In the future, we hope to expand the work further to include additional Wisconsin sites in wetland, agronomic, and forest soils receiving external N input.
" Global and ecological change research. We have a variety of projects ongoing that address current issues in global and ecological change. We are investigating the impacts of invasive plant species in wetlands, an invasive insect in forests of the Northeast U.S., the importance of plant and microbial diversity in urban rain garden functioning, and the effects of elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition on carbon cycling in invaded wetlands and grassland ecosystems.
" Collaborative research and visiting scholars program. We are committed to interdisciplinary research, and to the inclusion of microbiological detail in large-scale ecological research. Toward that end we are active collaborators with research groups around the world, and we invite students and postdocs to visit us in Madison to learn lipid analysis and microbial techniques. Our lab wiki site (http://balserlab.wikispaces.com/) explains more.

PUBLICATIONS
Erika Offerdahl, Teri Balser, Clarissa Dirks, Kathryn Miller, Jennifer Momsen, Lisa Montplaisir, Marcy Osgood, Karen Sirum, Mary Pat Wenderoth, Brian White, William B. Wood, Michelle Withers, Robin Wright, 2011. Meeting Report: Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER). CBE-Life Sciences Education, 10(1): 11-13 2011.


Liang, C., T. Balser, 2011. Correspondence: Microbial production of recalcitrant organic matter in global soils: Implications for productivity and climate policy. Nature Reviews Microbiology 9, 75 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2386-c1

Accomplishments

Ammonium is assimilated via two major pathways by microorganisms; one utilizing glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and the other utilizing glutamine synthease (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) as catalysts. The GDH to GS activity ratio in soil may yield valuable information on the availability of N relative to C at a specific point in time. (CA)<br /> <br /> Repression of protease by addition of glucose (but not NH4) to a soil system indicates that protease synthesis is determined by microbial need for C rather than N. (CA)<br /> <br /> When organic soil N sources are degraded, microorganisms take up N either directly in simple organic molecules (direct route) or mineralization of organic N as mineral N (mineralization-immobilization-turnover [MIT]). Although both routes are operative, the direct route appears to be the preferred route with up to 62% of N uptake being due to direct assimilation of organic N. Measurement of gross N mineralization may underestimate the amount of N Available from crop residue. (CA)<br /> <br /> Improved soil quality and plant performance appeared to be influenced by deep incorporation of compost and green manures prior to corn production in low input production systems. Greater POM-C and PMN levels were observed in the subsoil of corn-soybean production systems (IL)<br /> <br /> Long-term, annual, fall applied liquid swine manure applications created unfavorable environmental conditions in subsurface drained cropland with in-season manure side dressing and controlled drainage management appearing to be potential nutrient control practices. (IN)<br /> <br /> Corn plants allocate carbon to AM fungi during the reproductive stages of growth and the AM role in P acquisition appears to play a role. (NE)<br /> <br /> Short-term geomorphic stability of the Nebraska Sand Hills can be attributed below ground processes where root detritus, soil organic matter (SOM) and microbial activity persist up to 3 to 4 years and appears to be a legacy of the former grassland root system and not to extensive soil aggregation or large pools of stabilized SOM. (NE)<br /> <br /> Soil evaluation in restored grasslands for potential biofuels production across three sites to a depth of 1 m indicated that water soluble organic carbon can make up to 7% to the total SOC in the soil profile. (ND)<br /> <br /> Evaluation of field notes and laboratory data using statistical techniques 1163 select native or restored grassland sites indicated that the highest SOC values could be found at sites that had only cool season grass species present, a slope < 3%, and little or no distinct slope aspect. (ND)<br /> <br /> Evaluated, developed and applied robotic-pipetting, gravimetric-analysis and microplate-FTIR methodology for semi-automated high-throughput analysis of polar extractables from soil providing a good estimate of labile SOM content. (PA)<br /> <br /> Designed and developed specification of a mobile field lab that integrated a portable FTIR, a handheld optical spectrometer, GPS devices, bar-coding and databases for rapid and inexpensive at-site assessment studies and carbon crediting. Components of this design can be applied to a low cost paperless system of logging field samples into a database that can be used with data from automated lab analyzers. (PA)<br /> <br /> Evaluated soil quality and nitrogen indexes with geospatial information collected over ten years at reference sites across landscapes under direct seeding and alternative rotation managements for identifying land-use and management practices having the greatest impact on soil quality and nitrogen cycling. (WA)<br /> <br /> Developed predictions of nutrient release from mixtures of rye and hairy vetch crops in situ and potentially mineralizable nitrogen in laboratory incubations. (WA)<br /> <br /> Evaluated role of microbial communities in soil carbon turnover and sequestration and the role of temperature stress in determining microbial utilization of soil C. (WI)<br /> Evaluated microbial community control over N cycling in terrestrial systems such as restored wetlands and tropical and temperate forests as well as systems experiencing perturbation. (WI)<br /> <br /> Evaluated the impacts of invasive plant species in wetlands, invasive insects in Northeastern U. S. forests, plant and microbial diversity in urban rain garden functioning and effects of elevated CO2 and N deposition on C cycling in invaded wetlands and grassland ecosystems. (WI)<br /> <br /> Chair of Division S-3, Soil Science Society of America. (NE)<br /> <br /> Organizing Committee Chair of: Enzymes in the Environment: Ecology, Activity and Applications, July 17-21, 2011, Frankfurt Germany. (OH)<br />

Publications

Witzling, L., M.Wander. and E. Phillips. 2011. Testing and educating on urban soil lead: A case of Chicago community gardens. The Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development . doi:10.5304/jafscd.2010.012.015.<br /> <br /> <br /> Yoo, G., Yang X. and M. Wander. 2011. Influence of soil aggregation on soil organic carbon sequestration: A preliminary model of SOC protection by aggregate dynamics. Ecological Engineering. <br /> <br /> <br /> Wander M.M. 2011. Sustainable agriculture in the Great Lakes region; In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture II. Christine Jakobsson (ed). Baltic University Press pp. 263-271.<br /> <br /> <br /> Feher, S. and M.M. Wander. 2011. Assessment of sustainable land use. In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Agriculture III. Christine Jakobsson and Jeff Levengood. (eds.) Baltic University Press. pp.<br /> <br /> <br /> Higo, M., K. Isobe, D.-J. Kang, K. Ujiie, R.A. Drijber, R. Ishii. 2010. Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or crop rotation with mycorrhizal plants improves the growth of maize in limed acid sulfate soil. Plant Production Science, Vol. 13, pp.74-79.<br /> <br /> <br /> Okalebo, J., Yuen, G.Y., Drijber, R.A., Blankenship, E., Eken, C., Lindquist, J. 2011.Biological suppression of velvetleaf (Abuliton theophrasti) in an Eastern Nebraska soil. Weed Science 59:155-161.<br /> <br /> <br /> Haddix, M.L., Plante, A.F., Conant, R.T., Paul, E.A., Six, J., Steinweg, M.J., Magrini-Bair, K., Drijber, R.A., Morris, S.J. 2011. The role of soil characteristics on temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75:56-68.<br /> <br /> <br /> Tian, H., Drijber, R.A., Niu, X.S., Zhang, J.L., Li, X.L. 2011. Spatio-temporal dynamics of an indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in an intensively managed maize agroecosystem in north China. Applied Soil Ecology 47:141-152.<br /> <br /> <br /> Mahli, S. S., R. L. Lemke, M. A. Liebig, B. McConkey, J. J. Schoenau, L. J. Cihacek, and C.Campbell. 2010. Management strategies and practices for increasing storage of organic C and N in soil in cropping systems in the Northern Great Plains of North America. pp. 325-284. In S. S. Mahli, Y. Gan, J. J. Schoenau, R. L. Lemke and M. A. Liebig (eds.), Recent Trends in Soil Science and Agronomy Research in the Northern Great Plains of North America. Research Signpost Press, Kerala, India. <br /> <br /> <br /> M. Goebel, S. E. Hobbie, B. Bulaj, M. Zadworny, D. D. Archibald, J. Oleksyn, P. B. Reich and D. M. Eissenstat. "Decomposition of the finest root branching orders: Linking carbon and nutrient dynamics belowground to fine root function and structure." Ecological Monographs 81[1], 89-102. 2011.<br /> <br /> <br /> "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 2. Mobile field lab to measure soil carbon," by Elaine Viglione, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 4-14-2010, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100414_Making_carbon_crediting_really_work_for_farmers).<br /> <br /> <br /> "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 3. Making in-field carbon measurement a reality," by Elaine Viglione, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 7-28-2011, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20100728_making-carbon-crediting-really-work-for-farmers-part-3).<br /> <br /> <br /> "Making carbon crediting really work for farmers, Part 4. Streamlining the data, lessons learned, taking the lab to farms," by Elaine Viglione and Christi Gabriel, New Farm Magazine (The Rodale Institute, 12-01-2010, www.rodaleinstitute.org/20101201_making-carbon-crediting-really-work-for-farmers-part4).<br /> <br /> <br /> Habteselassie, M., M. Bischoff, B. Applegate, B. Reuhs, and R. F. Turco. 2010. Understanding the role of agricultural practices in the potential colonization and contamination by E. coli in rhizosphere of fresh produce. Journal of Food Protection. 73: 2001-2009.<br /> <br /> <br /> Hernandez-Ramirez, G., S. M. Brouder, M. D. Ruark, and R. F. Turco. 2011. Nitrate, phosphate, and ammonium loads at subsurface drains: agroecosystems and nitrogen management. Journal of Environmental Quality 40: 1-12.<br /> <br /> <br /> Erika Offerdahl, Teri Balser, Clarissa Dirks, Kathryn Miller, Jennifer Momsen, Lisa Montplaisir, Marcy Osgood, Karen Sirum, Mary Pat Wenderoth, Brian White, William B. Wood, Michelle Withers, Robin Wright, 2011. Meeting Report: Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (SABER). CBE-Life Sciences Education, 10(1): 11-13. <br /> <br /> <br /> Liang, C., T. Balser, 2011. Correspondence: Microbial production of recalcitrant organic matter in global soils: Implications for productivity and climate policy. Nature Reviews Microbiology 9, 75 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro2386-c1<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Impact Statements

1. The GDH to GS activity ratio in soil may yield valuable information on the availability of N relative to C at a specific point in time. (See California state report).
2. Repression of protease by addition of glucose (but not NH4) to a soil system indicates that protease synthesis is determined by microbial need for C rather than N.
3. Measurement of gross N mineralization may underestimate the amount of N Available from crop residue.
4. Short-term geomorphic stability of sandy soils may be due to relics of grassland root systems rather than accumulated SOC or soil aggregation.
5. In cooler grassland systems, cool season grass species have a greater impact on soil S sequestration and retention than warm season species.
6. Development and utilization of soil carbon models and soil nitrogen models can provide guidelines for land management practices for policy makers and land managers.

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