Characterizing temporal and spatial changes to the soil microbiome through the winter transition and freeze-thaw cycles in agricultural fertilizer amended soils

Largely overlooked, microbial activity in soil persists under snow and ice throughout the winter transition and reaches its apex during thaw events. With the onset of climate change the active layer of soils will experience colder temperatures as it loses its snowpack insulation and consequently will undergo a higher frequency of freeze-thaw cycles. These changes will have downstream effects on the underlying geochemistry of soils and subsequently microbial composition and activity. The result leave unclear implications for the study of climate change, agricultural management, and biogeochemical cycling. Thus the objective of this research is to characterize the changes in microbial diversity and bioenergetics as a function of the changing environmental metrics of soil geochemistry and nutrient availability throughout the winter transition. Further the efficacy of pre-winter fertilizer amendments will be explored from concerns of decreasing potency as thaw events may allow for early onset microbial growth and consumption of the fertilizer. The data contained here is pursuant to the Winter Soils Processes in Transition project under the broader Global Water Futures program funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund.