Coweeta LTER. freshwater metagenome

Coweeta LTER is located in the foothills of the Southern Appalachians in North Carolina. Coweeta Hydrologic Lab was established in 1933, is 2,185 hectares in size, and ranges in altitude from 679 to 1,592 meters. Climate can be characterized by cool summers and mild winters, with a mean annual temperature of 13 C. Rainfall varies by elevation, from 178 cm at low elevation to 250 cm at high elevation. Soils are immature Inceptisols or weathered Ultisols. Forests at Coweeta have a thick understory of Rhododendron by streams, and a mix of deciduous species in the uplands. The thick Rhododendron understory severely limits the light available to headwater streams; leaf litter inputs drive stream food webs. Deciduous litter occurs during a large fall pulse, is of a high food quality, and is available for only a few months. Rhododendron is an evergreen species that has a smaller year-round input, is of low food quality, and takes 2-3 years to break down. Different watersheds have a different management history, including: different intensities of cutting, multiple-use management, mountain farming, application of herbicides and fertilizers, and pine plantations. MIRADA samples were taken at 8 streams to assess differences in the microbial community by elevation and by treatment type. Low elevation sites were contrasted to high elevation sites. In addition, control sites (without treatment) were contrasted to the various management treatments.