Analysis of Nachusa Grasslands Restoration Progress through Geochemical Data
Session Number
Project ID: ENVR 06
Advisor(s)
Dr. Wesley Swingely, NIU
Discipline
Environmental Science
Start Date
17-4-2024 8:55 AM
End Date
17-4-2024 9:10 AM
Abstract
Prairie restoration is an important strategy to recover biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially in the North American Midwest where many prairie sites have been destroyed or degraded due primarily to intensive agriculture. Restored prairies have microbial diversity and soil organic carbon (SOC) that serves as a carbon storage, absorbing the carbon in the atmosphere and decreasing CO2 levels. Analyzing the soil microbiome’s response to restoration efforts provides insight to the extent and progress of restoration efforts taking place in the Nachusa Grasslands. We analyzed the microbial communities and geochemical content in soil samples from the Northern Illinois Nachusa grasslands to assess how these factors interrelate through the progress of restoration. We will present the results of our analysis on the soil microbiome and geochemical data and relate them to past studies to provide a report on restoration progress in the Nachusa Grasslands.
Analysis of Nachusa Grasslands Restoration Progress through Geochemical Data
Prairie restoration is an important strategy to recover biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially in the North American Midwest where many prairie sites have been destroyed or degraded due primarily to intensive agriculture. Restored prairies have microbial diversity and soil organic carbon (SOC) that serves as a carbon storage, absorbing the carbon in the atmosphere and decreasing CO2 levels. Analyzing the soil microbiome’s response to restoration efforts provides insight to the extent and progress of restoration efforts taking place in the Nachusa Grasslands. We analyzed the microbial communities and geochemical content in soil samples from the Northern Illinois Nachusa grasslands to assess how these factors interrelate through the progress of restoration. We will present the results of our analysis on the soil microbiome and geochemical data and relate them to past studies to provide a report on restoration progress in the Nachusa Grasslands.