LEVERAGING DIVERSITY TO INCREASE CARBON STORAGE IN AGROECOSYSTEMS

The goal of this seed grant is to collect data from an established perennial forage diversity experiment to determine if crop species identity and diversity elicit changes in root traits and soil microbial community characteristics that increase soil organic carbon (SOC). The objectives of this project are: (1) To quantify effects of forage crop diversity on SOC; (2) To determine effects of forage crop diversity on root quantity, depth distribution, and quality; (3) To determine effects of forage crop species identity and diversity on soil microbial community size, structure, and physiology; and (4) To assess relationships among SOC pools, root traits, and microbial community characteristics.