Biochemical analysis of microbial communitites from forest canopy soils of Gifford Pinchot National Forest

CHED 947

Elizabeth J Sloan, sloanej@plu.edu, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447
Soil was collected from Gifford Pinchot National Forest Canopies. Two sites were analyzed, Cedar Flats being closer to Mt. St. Helens than Wind River and having a higher ash content. Microbial communities were compared using Biolog EcoPlates, each plate with 31 different carbon sources for microbial usage, which provides an analysis of microbial community metabolic properties. The canopy supports communities that are different from those found in the ground soil. There is also evidence that different tree species have different communities, and that the ash composition of the soil affects the microbes found in it.