Wildfire effects on microbial communities in the boreal forest in Interior Alaska

Wildfire frequency and severity have been increasing due to climate change and are affecting large areas in Interior Alaska. Here we described the effects of fire on microbial communities in the organic layer in sites that burnt 18 years, 40-60 years and >80 years ago in the Yukon Tanana Uplands. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform to determine microbial community composition. We found that microbial community composition changed significantly with time post fire and that spatial heterogeneity was reduced in the more recently burnt sites compared to the mature sites. Differences in microbial community composition was also associated with differences in soil moisture content and canopy composition.