Effect of chestnut cultivation on soil microbial communities at the ​ Hurricane Creek Field Station

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was a prevalent species that spanned across Appalachia. Invasive pathogens rendered this important ecological and economic resource functionally extinct by the mid-20th century. Restoration efforts include hybridizing American with Chinese chestnuts (C. mollissima), which are resistant to the pathogens. Apart from the pathogens, there is limited research on chestnut microbial communities. Our study’s main purpose is to compare soil microorganism diversity among American, Chinese, and hybrid chestnut trees. A partnership between The American Chestnut Foundation and The University of North Georgia established a new screening orchard for these trees in the spring 2023, and researchers have collected soil samples quarterly. We used BIOLOG EcoPlates to assess soil microbiota from these samples and preserved isolates of interest for further study. We are still completing our analyses. Throughout the sampling period, the surrounding soil environment (within the study plot) had lower microbial metabolic activity than the soil adjacent to the trees. The extent of these differences appears to vary seasonally and with the species of tree planted. The diversity of microbes also fluctuated seasonally and with tree type. The metabolic footprints of the trees also vary considerably, potentially providing useful insights about the ecology of the tree-specific soil communities and aiding in restoration efforts.