Integrated Drivers of Arctic Soil Microbiomes in Svalbard Tundra Ecosystems

Arctic tundra soils host diverse microbial communities that strongly influence carbon and nutrient cycling, yet the ecological factors shaping these communities remain poorly understood. This project investigates how soil properties, vegetation composition, and goose grazing interact to structure bacterial and fungal diversity in tundra soils around Svalbard. By integrating sampling and analyses across multiple research groups, we aim to identify key environmental and biological drivers of microbial community assembly, evaluate how plant-soil interactions influence fungal and bacterial distributions, and assess how herbivore disturbance alters microbial structure and potential ecosystem functioning. This work provides essential baseline knowledge for predicting how Arctic terrestrial ecosystems may respond to ongoing climate-driven changes in vegetation, nutrient availability, and grazing pressure.