The Influence of Plant Biodiversity on Microbial Biodiversity and Quantity in the Palouse Prairie

Faculty Mentor

Jenifer Walke, Rebecca Brown

Presentation Type

Poster

Start Date

4-14-2026 11:30 AM

End Date

4-14-2026 1:30 PM

Location

PUB NCR

Primary Discipline of Presentation

Biology

Abstract

Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi are a vital part of the soil’s microbiome and food web. Microbial biodiversity and quantities in the soil are influenced by many factors, including topography, moisture, pH, depth, and the presence of plants and animals in the environment. Differences in soil can result in optimal growth for different species of plants and microbes, which causes variation in the soil’s microbiome. Investigating how plant-life and other factors interact with microbes is useful for understanding soil health and the best approach for restoration efforts within specific environments, including the Palouse Prairie. The Palouse prairie is an endangered ecosystem that is home to many wild grasses and other wildlife. Today there is less than 1% of the Palouse Prairie remaining, and there is the risk of extinction if proper restorative actions are not taken. Eastern Washington University started the Prairie Restoration Project with 120 acres of Palouse prairie land that was once used as farmland, with the goal of restoring it to its former habitat. Today, the main focus is on the 14-acre test plot that was seeded in 2022, which is being used to measure the differences in success between different native seed mixtures. Understanding the microbiome of the Palouse Prairie can help researchers understand what bacteria inhabit the ecosystem and what factors influence their biodiversity and presence. The purpose of this project was to study the microbial biodiversity and quantity of the soil in the Palouse Prairie, and to determine if plant biodiversity has an influence on the bacterial presence. This was done by collecting ten soil samples from the peaks of the hills across EWU’s 14-acre Prairie Restoration test plot. Five of the samples were from grass only plots, and five of them were from high diversity plots. Each of the samples were tested for the moisture content and the organic matter concentration and then had the bacterial DNA of the soil extracted using the E.Z.N.A. Soil DNA kit and sent to GeneWhiz to be analyzed using 16S amplicon sequencing to determine the types and quantities of bacteria in the soil. While all ten of the samples had results for the moisture content and organic matter concentration, only nine of the samples were able to be sequenced due to the low concentration of DNA extracted from the sample. Based on the results, there were slight differences between the samples for moisture, organic matter concentration, and bacterial species, phylum, and genus, however, the results were not statistically significant. Although there were no distinct differences between the plot types, the results do give insight into the types of bacteria that are present in the Prairie Restoration test plot, which could be used to help determine which bacteria inhabit the ecosystem the most.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 14th, 11:30 AM Apr 14th, 1:30 PM

The Influence of Plant Biodiversity on Microbial Biodiversity and Quantity in the Palouse Prairie

PUB NCR

Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi are a vital part of the soil’s microbiome and food web. Microbial biodiversity and quantities in the soil are influenced by many factors, including topography, moisture, pH, depth, and the presence of plants and animals in the environment. Differences in soil can result in optimal growth for different species of plants and microbes, which causes variation in the soil’s microbiome. Investigating how plant-life and other factors interact with microbes is useful for understanding soil health and the best approach for restoration efforts within specific environments, including the Palouse Prairie. The Palouse prairie is an endangered ecosystem that is home to many wild grasses and other wildlife. Today there is less than 1% of the Palouse Prairie remaining, and there is the risk of extinction if proper restorative actions are not taken. Eastern Washington University started the Prairie Restoration Project with 120 acres of Palouse prairie land that was once used as farmland, with the goal of restoring it to its former habitat. Today, the main focus is on the 14-acre test plot that was seeded in 2022, which is being used to measure the differences in success between different native seed mixtures. Understanding the microbiome of the Palouse Prairie can help researchers understand what bacteria inhabit the ecosystem and what factors influence their biodiversity and presence. The purpose of this project was to study the microbial biodiversity and quantity of the soil in the Palouse Prairie, and to determine if plant biodiversity has an influence on the bacterial presence. This was done by collecting ten soil samples from the peaks of the hills across EWU’s 14-acre Prairie Restoration test plot. Five of the samples were from grass only plots, and five of them were from high diversity plots. Each of the samples were tested for the moisture content and the organic matter concentration and then had the bacterial DNA of the soil extracted using the E.Z.N.A. Soil DNA kit and sent to GeneWhiz to be analyzed using 16S amplicon sequencing to determine the types and quantities of bacteria in the soil. While all ten of the samples had results for the moisture content and organic matter concentration, only nine of the samples were able to be sequenced due to the low concentration of DNA extracted from the sample. Based on the results, there were slight differences between the samples for moisture, organic matter concentration, and bacterial species, phylum, and genus, however, the results were not statistically significant. Although there were no distinct differences between the plot types, the results do give insight into the types of bacteria that are present in the Prairie Restoration test plot, which could be used to help determine which bacteria inhabit the ecosystem the most.