CLOUD FORESTS
I travelled to Costa Rica for the first time over ten years ago and left completely enamored. Since that time, most of my research centered on these vulnerable ecosystems.
Cloud forests are extremely diverse due to the constant presence of clouds that adds moisture to these foggy forests. Unfortunately, the clouds are moving up the mountain and these forests are drying.
My research focuses on what changes will occur belowground in the soil where millions of invisible microbes reside. These microbes break down plant material, and in doing so, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. I am interested in how these microbes may change when conditions become warmer and drier.
How do soil fungi change with elevation?
Cloud cover has a significant influence over ecosystem properties in these forests. Unfortunately, climate change is causing this cloud layer to rise, resulting in an increase in the number of dry days.
There are vast knowledge gaps in how soil microbes respond to changes in elevation, especially within TMCF. We completed a survey of soil properties, processes, and fungal community along this elevation gradient in Monteverde, Costa Rica. This study is one of the first to comprehensively examine how soil fungal communities respond to changes in elevation in cloud forests.
Looby, C.I., M.R. Maltz, K.K. Treseder. 2016. Belowground responses to elevation in a
changing cloud forest. Ecology and Evolution 6: 1996-2009.
Media Coverage
“Efecto en cadena: el bosque nuboso en riesgo por impacto del cambio climático en sus
hongos,” Scientific American Español, June 2016
“Observing Fungi in a Mountain Cloud Forest,” UCI Magazine, Spring 2016
“Fungus Among Us: Biologists Study Global Warming from Costa Rica,” Costa Rica Star
News, March 2016
“Even Plant-supporting Soil Fungi Affected by Global Warming, UCI study finds,” UCI
News, March 2016
How will soil fungi and decomposition change with warmer and drier conditions?
Mountains are a great way to simulate climate change. Higher elevations are cooler and wetter and lower elevations are warmer and drier. Moving down the mountain is like moving forward in predicting future climate change.
For this study, we moved soil down the mountain so that fungi would experience the warmer temperatures and drier conditions associated with climate change. Soil was put in “microbial cages” that have tiny pores. These pores are large enough to allow water and nutrients to pass through, but are small enough so that fungi cannot enter. With these cages, we were able to determine how soil fungi from high elevations may respond to climate change.
Looby, C.I., K.K. Treseder. 2018. Shifts in soil fungi and decomposition with simulated
climate change in a tropical montane cloud forest. Soil Biology and Biogeochemistry117: 87-96.
What about soil in the canopy?
One defining characteristic of TMCF is the high epiphyte biomass living on the branches of trees, increasing the surface area of these branches. Organic material collects and decomposes on these branches and over time canopy soil is formed. This serves as a significant reservoir to house microbial communities.
We compared soil fungi and extracellular enzymes in canopy and ground soils, and detail how fungi may support epiphyte communities, helping them deal with stressful conditions in the canopy.
Looby, C.I., E.C. Hollenbeck, K.K. Treseder. Carbon in the canopy: how soil fungi and extracellular enzymes differ in canopy and ground soils. Ecosystems.
DOI: 10.1007/s10021-019-00439-w.