Plant-Soil Ecological Dynamics post-Disturbance

Warren Wilson College has a working College Farm that was established in 1894. Since then, the College has emerged as a regional leader in the areas of sustainable and regenerative agriculture. The College Farm uses a variety of techniques, including rotational grazing and cover cropping, to build soil fertility and increase soil carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to the Warren Wilson College Farm, which is bisected by the Swannanoa River. While this event was unfortunate, it provided a unique opportunity to study how soil microbiomes, and agroecosystems more broadly,  may respond to natural disasters. 

In collaboration with WWC Biochemistry Professor Kim Borges and support from the College’s Center for Working Lands, we established “Team Plant-Soil”, a long-term soil monitoring initiative to monitor the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils on the College Farm. Students on our team conduct capstone research through WWC’s Natural Sciences Undergraduate Research Sequence (NSURS). Using 16S metabarcoding, soil chemical analyses, and plant cover surveys, we have been monitoring since December 2024.