Microbes in soil respond, adapt, and sometimes drive feedbacks to our changing climate. In this talk, Dr Kristen DeAngelis shares insights from long-term forest warming experiments, where microbes have shifted their carbon processing, growth strategies, and survival under chronic heat. She delves into how microbial traits evolve through environmental pressure and what this means for soil carbon storage, ecosystem resilience, and our efforts toward sustainable biofuels. Drawing on cutting-edge molecular ecology and evolutionary studies, Dr DeAngelis will weave a story of microbial ecology with deep implications for climate equity and environmental justice.