XVI International Botanical Congess

Very little is known about the organisms that are impacted by mine waste environments in Montana. However, it is known that if heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms are properly nutrified, they can bioremediate mine waste-influenced areas as a benefit of their physiological processes. However, before any type of bioremediation of an ecosystem can begin, it is essential to gain a fundamental understanding of the components of the microbial community. Defining the baseline community structure is the first step toward understanding the interaction of the different biota and toward assessing any improvement in biodiversity within the biotic community.