Underground biodiversity researched by CSU researcher

Diana Wall, biologist of CSU College of Natural Science, is all over the news.

The National Science Foundation, which funded some of her work along with researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Lancaster (UK), announced on the 17th of October (2011) that Wall and others have published ground-breaking research.

First, let us cover how some previous research from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists helped clean up a devastating pollution mess.

Organic pollutants can go through the process of bioremediation and become non-toxic via underground organisms.

USGS scientist found that bioremediation can be sped up by supplying the organisms with nutrients.

There had been a 80,000 gallon (about 68,137 liter) fuel leak at Hanahan, South Carolina in 1975.

We did not know that adding nutrients could help the organisms at the time. So nutrients were not added to the soil until 1992.

By 1993, the enormous contamination was drastically reduced by 75%. In addition, water was drinkable again.

How is this related to Wall’s work? She helped show that underground organisms are not widespread html.

17,516 gene sequences were organized into 2,259 operational taxonomic units. Each unit shares 99% of the same rRNA.

Only 14 of these units were found in more than 3 areas. There were 11 locations, which had 42 plots that yielded genetic sequences. No organism was global.

This shows that the nutrients used for the humungous contamination in South Carolina may not work for other locations. If the genetics of organisms vary by more than 1%, then what worked for the environment in South Carolina might not work for another environment, like Wisconsin where there is still some pollution in a river.

You should note that humans and chimpanzees are more than 1% genetically different.

We know know from Wall’s research that there have been some misconceptions about the biodiversity of life underground.

We used to think that life underground was similar throughout many locations and that the diversity varies via latitude just like above ground life.

But the research indicates that the diversity of life underground may be inversely proportional to the diversity of life above ground as well as being localized.

Maybe this indicates that ecosystems with low biodiversity above ground have the potential to heal faster than ecosystems with a lot of biodiversity above ground. That’s just speculation from me though.

One thing for sure is that this is called “ground-breaking” research.

Soil life not only decontaminates the environment, it also decomposes waste, regulates underground water and soil water absorption. It can help crop farms produce healthy plants in fertile soil. It can help infected forests heal.

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/soil_biodiversity_brochure_en.pdf
Learn about why soil biodiversity is important.

http://www.today.colostate.edu/story.aspx?id=6304
Read more about Diana Wall’s research.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121998&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click
This is a temporary link to the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) news release about this.