Leila Rquibi
PhD Student
Biography
Major Advisor: Dr. Louise Egerton-Warburton
Research Topic: Untangling interconnectivity between above- and belowground biodiversity and ecosystem function
Research interests: soil ecology, soil microbiome, soil health, sustainable agriculture, prairie restoration, soil legacy effects
Awards:
2022
- New Roots for Restoration Biology Integration Institute Mini-Grant
Research
For my dissertation, I am working to improve our understanding of how above- and belowground biodiversity are related to one another, and more broadly to soil and plant health. It is generally thought that more diverse ecosystems are also more productive and resilient. However, most of this work has focused on aboveground diversity, namely of plant communities. The relationship between soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functions— like nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and plant productivity— is not as well established. It’s also not clear how strongly plant diversity may influence microbial diversity. My research investigates questions of basic science regarding the abiotic and biotic factors which structure belowground community and function, as well as more applied ones evaluating the impact of alternative agriculture practices on soil health over time and legacy effects of these systems.