wetland microbiology

Wetlands are a fascinating environment to explore microbial interactions. The permanently saturated conditions of most wetlands create reduction-oxidation gradients that support many microbial metabolic strategies. Wetlands are one the few places here anaerobic respiration (denitrification, sulfate reduction, methanogenesis) are common. Wetlands carry out many important functions, including storing C and improving water quality. A better understanding of these microbial mediated processes in natural systems will help future managers restore and create these important habitats. To this end we are using high throughput sequencing to characterize microbial communities.