ANTIBIOTIC COMPOUNDS ARE FREQUENTLY USED TO PROMOTE THE HEALTH AND GROWTH OF LIVESTOCK. AS WITH MANY MEDICINES, THE UN-METABOLIZED, ACTIVE COMPOUNDS ARE ELIMINATED THROUGH ANIMAL WASTE PRODUCTS AND INTRODUCED TO THE SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT. HOW THESE COMPOUNDS AFFECT SOIL FOOD WEBS IS POORLY RESOLVED. THIS PROPOSED PROJECT AIMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW A COMMONLY ADMINISTERED LIVESTOCK ANTIBIOTIC INTERACTS WITH MANURE TO SHAPE SOIL COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE. USING ANTIBIOTIC-LADEN MANURE FROM DAIRY CATTLE, I WILL CONDUCT A FIELD EXPERIMENT TO ASSESS HOW ANTIBIOTIC COMPOUNDS AFFECT SOIL ECOSYSTEMS AND THEIR FUNCTION. I HYPOTHESIZE THAT ANTIBIOTICS CHANGE THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITY IN MANURE AND AGRICULTURAL SOILS, SLOWING DECOMPOSITION RATES. FURTHERMORE, I HYPOTHESIZE THAT THE ADDITION OF ANTIBIOTICS CREATES A METABOLICALLY STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR MICROBIOTA, INCREASING THEIR PRODUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GASES AND THE PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT GENES. FINALLY, I HYPOTHESIZE THAT ANTIBIOTIC-LADEN MANURE DECREASES INVERTEBRATE DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE BY LOWERING MICROBIAL BIOMASS AND VIA DELETERIOUS EFFECTS ON INVERTEBRATE MICROBIOME. THROUGH FIELD EXPERIMENTS, INVERTEBRATE COLLECTIONS, AND MICROBIAL ANALYSIS, I WILL ASSESS HOW THE INTRODUCTION OF ANTIBIOTIC-LADEN MANURE DISRUPTS THE SOIL FOOD WEB COMMUNITY AND THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IT PROVIDES. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY WILL HELP SHAPE FUTURE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, WHILE PROVIDING INSIGHT INTO WHAT GOVERNS THE HEALTH OF ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL PASTURELANDS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES THE AFRI PRIORITY AREAS OF BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT; ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS; AND AGRICULTURE SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY. THIS PROJECT WILL HELP DEVELOP THE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND MENTORSHIP CREDENTIALS OF THE PROJECT DIRECTOR.