RECORD
Pyroaerobiology: The Aerosolization and Transport of Viable Microbial Life by Wildland Fire
- Title:
- Pyroaerobiology: The Aerosolization and Transport of Viable Microbial Life by Wildland Fire
- Creator:
- Kobziar, Leda N.; Pingree, Melissa R. A.; Larson, Heather; Dreaden, Tyler J.; Green, Shelby; Smith, Jason A.
- Date Created:
- 2018-11-15
- Description:
- The field of aerobiology is expanding due to a recognition of the diversity of roles microbes play in both terrestrial and atmospheric ecology. Smoke from global biomass burning has had significant and widespread ecological and human health consequences, but the living component of smoke has received little attention. Microbes aerosolized and transported by wildland fire may have profound effects on atmospheric and environmental factors, acting as nuclei for ice condensation, transporting pathogens or symbionts, and otherwise influencing ecosystems and human populations downwind. The potential for smoke to aerosolize and transport viable microbes is a virtually blank piece of the microbial biogeography puzzle with far‐reaching implications. This study characterized the aerosolization of viable microbes via wildland fire smoke from burns in contrasting coniferous forests. Seventy aerosolized microbial morphotypes were recovered, and of these, a subset was identified using DNA analysis which revealed both pathogenic and non‐pathogenic fungal species. Overall microbial colony‐forming units decreased with increasing distance from smoke source, driven by bacterial abundance. Organisms were more abundant in smoke derived from mechanically treated fuels than intact forest floors and were most abundant in smoke from a dry, biennially burned Pinus palustris sandhill forest in Florida. Our findings of smoke‐transported viable microbes have implications for ecosystem restoration/conservation, global biodiversity, meteorology, and human health.
- Document Type:
- Research Article
- Subjects:
- UIEF aerobiology wildland fire fire effects microbes terrestrial ecology atmospheric ecology microbial biogeography fire
- Location:
- UIEF
- Latitude:
- 46.869607
- Longitude:
- -116.733856
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Department:
- Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences
- Type:
- Text
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Pyroaerobiology: The Aerosolization and Transport of Viable Microbial Life by Wildland Fire", UIEF Research Exchange, University of Idaho Library Digital Collections, https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/uief/items/uief_0170.html
Rights
- Rights:
- In copyright, educational use permitted.
- Standardized Rights:
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/