The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica (MCM) forms one of the most extreme deserts on Earth. It consists of a mosaic of permanently ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams, exposed soils, and glaciers. Microorganisms are the only life forms occupying these landscape units. Given the relatively low and seasonal growth rates of these organisms, we contend that the distribution of microorganisms within this environment is controlled by physical factors.

 Most climate change research has concentrated on the direct effects of environmental change for individual species and their interactions. By affecting key foundation species and ecosystem engineers, however, climate change may have a variety of indirect that may complicate our abilities to predict the response of communities and ecosystems. In California, climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of storms over the last half century.  Storms may directly alter the structure of kelp forest food webs via disturbance.

Oaks are a dominant component of many North American forests, yet in many areas oak seedling production is declining. Oaks are generally thought to be highly dispersal limited, which could hamper reaching scarce recruitment sites and limit oaks’ ability to respond to climate change via migration or local adaptation. In this study, we apply a Bayesian parentage model developed for monoecious plants to two populations of red oak (Q. rubra) in North Carolina: in the Piedmont (12 ha) and the Coweeta LTER in the southern Appalachians (7.5 ha).