[Enviro-lunch] Fwd: (Enviro-Lunch) Enviro-lunch (8/24): Teamrat A. Ghezzehei, "Life cycle of soil aggregates: from root residue to microbial and physical hotspots"

[Nate Bogie]

Hello Everyone,
This is a reminder that our first Enviro-Lunch Seminar will feature
Professor Teamrat Ghezzehei presenting on soil aggregation tomorrow:
Thursday 8/24 at 12pm in room SE2 302.

Thanks,
Nate & Lixia
Faculty Coordinater: Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

Dear all,

Please support our community in Earth and environmental sciences by
attending our weekly events. First speaker in our Enviro-lunch brown bag
seminar series will be:



*Teamrat A. Ghezzehei *

Associate Professor, Environmental Systems

*Life cycle of soil aggregates: from root residue to microbial and physical
hotspots*



*Abstract*: Soil aggregation is a physical state of soil in which clumps of
primary soil particles are held together by biological and/or chemical
cementing agents. Aggregations plays important role in storage and movement
of water and essential gases, nutrient cycling, and ultimately supporting
microbial and plant life. It is also one of the most dynamic and sensitive
soil qualities, which readily responds to disturbances such as cultivation,
fire, drought, flooding, and changes in vegetation.  Soil aggregation that
is primarily controlled by organic matter generally exhibits hierarchical
organization of soil constituents into stable units that range in size from
a few microns to centimeters. However, this conceptual model of soil
aggregation as the key unifying mechanism remains poorly quantified and is
rarely included in predictive soil models. Here we provide a biophysical
framework for quantitative and predictive modeling of soil aggregation and
its attendant soil characteristics. The framework treats aggregates as
hotspots of biological, chemical and physical processes centered around
roots and root residue. We keep track of the life cycle of an individual
aggregate from it genesis in the rhizosphere, fueled by rhizodeposition and
mediated by vigorous microbial activity, until its disappearance when the
root-derived resources are depleted. The framework synthesizes current
understanding of microbial life in porous media; water holding and soil
binding capacity of biopolymers; and environmental controls on soil organic
matter dynamics. The framework paves a way for integration of processes
that are presently modeled as disparate or poorly coupled processes,
including storage and protection of carbon, microbial activity, greenhouse
gas fluxes, movement and storage of water, resistance of soils against
erosion.



When: Aug. 24th, Thursday, 12pm – 1pm

Where: SE2-302

Speakers need to arrive the seminar room 10 minutes prior to presentations.

If speakers would prefer to use laser pointer/slide advancing remote,
please bring your own.



Coffee will be provided and please bring your own mugs.

We look forward to seeing you,



Organizers for 2017-18: Nathaniel Bogie and Lixia Jin

Faculty coordinator: Asmeret Asefaw Berhe

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