Lab Blab #3

Lab Blab #3
TOC – Total Organic Carbon is just one index used to assess how healthful a microbial community may be. The focus of Dr. Bill’s research is on soil microbial activity. In delving through pertinent journals – I learned that global warming has an impact on all ecosystems on our Earth – even those underground. As per Moscatelli, (2005) bioindicators measure metabolic responses of microbial communities to alterations in climate. And any disturbance or stressor will be reflected in the metabolic activities of the community. An effective way to study this problem is through the use of several methods of measuring Carbon. TOC compares the relation of C(microbial biomass) to C(soil organic). qCO2 compares community basal respiration to C(microbial biomass). Combined with pH, water availability , exposure to the FACE Method-(Free Atmospheric CO2 Exposure)-(Anderson, 1997), qM (organic carbon in humus), and available Nitrogen, one may gain an accurate assessment of microbial activity. Has the ecosystem been affected by disturbance? Is it in a state of recovery, or basking in Homeostatic balance? Stay tuned for an interesting lab experience!!