MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Coffee is one of the most highly traded and valued commodities that originates from the developing world (FAO, 2014), and coffee consumption has increased nearly twenty-fold from 1952 to 2011 (Caldwell et al, 2015). Coffee cultivation practices primarily fall under either “traditional” or “modern” systems. Traditional coffee systems are characterized by their inclusion of tall tree species that provide forestlike shade, which contrast with modern systems that expose sun to the coffee crops (Rice, 1999). While the implementation of modern systems can increase coffee yield, it also results in a loss of the valuable canopy cover found in traditional coffee farms, and in turn threatens the biodiversity of the system (Rice, 1990). Despite the boom in coffee consumption, however, relatively few studies have been conducted on the agricultural and soil practices of coffee farms in relation to prokaryotic species diversity. Within just one gram of coffee plant soil, there exists a staggering number of anywhere from 6,400 to 38,000 different taxa of prokaryotes (Caldwell et al, 2015), but information regarding the actual species of bacteria found within the rhizospheres is lacking. With samples collected from a coffee plantations in El Salvador, I will analyze the differences in the prokaryotic diversity of soil microbiomes from traditional coffee environments and open-sun coffee environments. Using DNA extraction, PCR, and DNA sequencing techniques, it is expected that the soil microbiomes of the two distinct coffee plantations will differ in speciation.

WC = 236

Voice: Formal and distant throughout

Citation: APA throughout

Reader Profile: The professors and researchers on the Biology Honors Thesis committee, soil ecologists and microbiologists

Reader reaction: Although it might be interesting to see if there is a difference between the two microbiomes, is there a larger significance to be found from the results? Could this have implications on sustaining biodiversity such as bird populations? Would the findings of this research have a broader impact on agricultural economics?

M, those questions are part of good research! You do not need to answer them specifically but you might dwell on them about how your research COULD help answer such important questions about sustainable agriculture. :)

Good plan.