Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density

Abstract Microorganisms surrounding plant roots may benefit invasive species through enhanced mutualism or decreased antagonism, when compared to surrounding native species. We surveyed the rhizosphere soil microbiome of a prominent invasive plant, Phragmites australis, and its co‐occurring native s...

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Main Authors: Wesley A. Bickford, Donald R. Zak, Kurt P. Kowalski, Deborah E. Goldberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-10-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6811
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author Wesley A. Bickford
Donald R. Zak
Kurt P. Kowalski
Deborah E. Goldberg
author_facet Wesley A. Bickford
Donald R. Zak
Kurt P. Kowalski
Deborah E. Goldberg
author_sort Wesley A. Bickford
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Microorganisms surrounding plant roots may benefit invasive species through enhanced mutualism or decreased antagonism, when compared to surrounding native species. We surveyed the rhizosphere soil microbiome of a prominent invasive plant, Phragmites australis, and its co‐occurring native subspecies for evidence of microbial drivers of invasiveness. If the rhizosphere microbial community is important in driving plant invasions, we hypothesized that non‐native Phragmites would cultivate a different microbiome from native Phragmites, containing fewer pathogens, more mutualists, or both. We surveyed populations of native and non‐native Phragmites across Michigan and Ohio USA, and we described rhizosphere microbial communities using culture‐independent next‐generation sequencing. We found little evidence that native and non‐native Phragmites cultivate distinct bacterial, fungal, or oomycete rhizosphere communities. Microbial community differences in our Michigan survey were not associated with plant lineage but were mainly driven by environmental factors, such as soil saturation and nutrient concentrations. Intensive sampling along transects consisting of dense monocultures of each lineage and mixed zones revealed bacterial community differences between lineages in dense monoculture, but not in mixture. We found no evidence of functional differences in the microbial communities surrounding each lineage. We extrapolate that the invasiveness of non‐native Phragmites, when compared to its native congener, does not result from the differential cultivation of beneficial or antagonistic rhizosphere microorganisms.
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spelling doaj.art-140ab0b226234acd88d5d96d38b29fa02022-12-21T19:49:53ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-10-011020117391175110.1002/ece3.6811Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand densityWesley A. Bickford0Donald R. Zak1Kurt P. Kowalski2Deborah E. Goldberg3U.S. Geological Survey – Great Lakes Science Center Ann Arbor MI USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USAU.S. Geological Survey – Great Lakes Science Center Ann Arbor MI USADepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USAAbstract Microorganisms surrounding plant roots may benefit invasive species through enhanced mutualism or decreased antagonism, when compared to surrounding native species. We surveyed the rhizosphere soil microbiome of a prominent invasive plant, Phragmites australis, and its co‐occurring native subspecies for evidence of microbial drivers of invasiveness. If the rhizosphere microbial community is important in driving plant invasions, we hypothesized that non‐native Phragmites would cultivate a different microbiome from native Phragmites, containing fewer pathogens, more mutualists, or both. We surveyed populations of native and non‐native Phragmites across Michigan and Ohio USA, and we described rhizosphere microbial communities using culture‐independent next‐generation sequencing. We found little evidence that native and non‐native Phragmites cultivate distinct bacterial, fungal, or oomycete rhizosphere communities. Microbial community differences in our Michigan survey were not associated with plant lineage but were mainly driven by environmental factors, such as soil saturation and nutrient concentrations. Intensive sampling along transects consisting of dense monocultures of each lineage and mixed zones revealed bacterial community differences between lineages in dense monoculture, but not in mixture. We found no evidence of functional differences in the microbial communities surrounding each lineage. We extrapolate that the invasiveness of non‐native Phragmites, when compared to its native congener, does not result from the differential cultivation of beneficial or antagonistic rhizosphere microorganisms.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6811bacteriafungioomycetesrhizoplanerhizospheresoil conditioning
spellingShingle Wesley A. Bickford
Donald R. Zak
Kurt P. Kowalski
Deborah E. Goldberg
Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
Ecology and Evolution
bacteria
fungi
oomycetes
rhizoplane
rhizosphere
soil conditioning
title Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
title_full Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
title_fullStr Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
title_full_unstemmed Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
title_short Differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non‐native Phragmites australis may depend on stand density
title_sort differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between native and non native phragmites australis may depend on stand density
topic bacteria
fungi
oomycetes
rhizoplane
rhizosphere
soil conditioning
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6811
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AT kurtpkowalski differencesinrhizospheremicrobialcommunitiesbetweennativeandnonnativephragmitesaustralismaydependonstanddensity
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