Below-ground trophic interactions under extreme climatic conditions

The increasing intensity and frequency of climate extremes, such as heat waves and droughts alter microbial interactions and their diversity in soil ecosystems. Yet, the links between biotic interactions within microbial communities and microbial diversity under the influence of climate extremes are little understood. In this project, we will investigate phage-protist-bacterial-fungi interactions in soil during and after heat waves and drought, linking these interactions to shift in microbial diversity using a combination of laboratory-based microcosm experiment and field-based experiments exploring community composition through environmental DNA sequencing. Broadly, we will quantify predation and competition/facilitation during and after climate extremes and associate these interactions with shifts in microbial community diversity. This multifaceted approach, using laboratory and field experiments, will capture the complexity of these interactions across different levels of ecological organization.