Taxonomic and functional characterization of tropical rainforest soil microbial communities along an elevation gradient and implications for nitrogen cycling. Puerto Rico Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) soil metagenomes

Tropical rainforests are the largest terrestrial sinks of atmospheric CO2 and the largest natural source of N2O emissions, two critical greenhouse gases for the climate. The microbial communities of rainforest soils that directly or indirectly, through affecting plant growth, contribute to these fluxes remain poorly described by cultured-independent methods. To close this knowledge gap, the present study applied shotgun metagenomics to samples selected from four distinct lifezones (elevations) within the Puerto Rico rainforest. Samples were taken at 3 different depths and 4 different locations (at different elevations) in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF).