Researchers will investigate sub-Arctic soil crusts at nanoscale using nanoSIMS imaging

Due to climate change and global warming, winter conditions in the sub-Arctic are changing rapidly and thaw days come more frequently. As a consequence, plants that depend on the snow for insulation to withstand frost, can be damaged or die. This damaging process is called browning. Browning has a devastating impact on the animals that feed on these plants, and disturbs the activity and composition of other organisms in the soil crust.

- Soil microorganisms feed on organic nitrogen sources such as dead plant material. There are many different microorganisms in the soil. We want to learn about their function and how they interact to understand the organic nitrogen cycling. We want to investigate how amino acids are used by plants, lichens, fungi and bacteria in biological soil crusts, says Louise C. Andresen, researcher at the University of Gothenburg.

New methodology to visualize and quantify organic nitrogen cycling at nanoscale

Rough measurements at the scale of a shovel are standard. Now, Louise C. Andresen wants to develop a new methodology that leads to insights in carbon and nitrogen cycling at the cellular scale of roots, microorganisms and soil particles using the NanoSIMS facility.

- NanoSIMS can image soil organisms and particles at a micrometre scale. It is the first time in Sweden that the NanoSIMS facility is used for this kind of research projects, says Aurélien Thomen, director of the NanoSIMS facility at the Chemical Imaging Infrastructure.