Date of Award

Summer 8-1-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Earth Science

Committee Chair

Alysia Cox

First Advisor

Steve Dent

Second Advisor

Robin Bullock

Third Advisor

John Kirtley

Fourth Advisor

Dan Autenrieth

Abstract

Microbiomes are intertwined with copper chemistry through both toxin and trace nutrient interactions. We produced and examined nineteen metagenomes from a creek recovering from historic copper mining to investigate how anthropogenic contamination shapes microbial community structure and functional potential. We then incorporated the metagenomic profiles and concurrently collected geochemical context into multivariate models to examine correlations between habitat geochemistry and microbial ecology. Residual copper and wastewater inputs alter stream habitability across seasonal gradients. We complimented initial analyses with new insights from high temperature environments. Combined dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), temperature, pH, and silica stress constrain photosynthesis in hydrothermal features. Geochemical forcing drove microbial ecology and provided new insights into local microbiomes.

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