COS 40-1 - Plant lineage determines rhizosphere microbial structure and activity in a cosmopolitan species at a continental scale

Tuesday, August 8, 2017: 8:00 AM
D129-130, Oregon Convention Center
Laura Meyerson, University of Rhode Island, KINGSTON, RI; Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, Patrick Kearns, University of Massachusetts Boston, MA, Jarrett E. K. Byrnes, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, Sara Wigginton, University of Rhode Island, Warwick J. Allen, The Bio-Protection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand, James T. Cronin, Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, Jennifer Yu, University of Massachusetts Boston and Jennifer Bowen, Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Background/Question/Methods

Plant-soil feedbacks play critical roles in species invasions but are rarely investigated at the intraspecific level. We studied plant-soil feedbacks in three predominant North American lineages of a globally distributed plant species, Phragmites australis. We used field surveys and a common garden experiment to analyze the total and active microbial communities in the rhizosphere of P. australis stands from Native, Introduced and Gulf (uncertain origin) lineages, to examine lineage specific controls on rhizosphere microbial communities.

Results/Conclusions

Regardless of where samples were collected in the United States, within-lineage microbial communities were similar, but were distinct among lineages, even those growing sympatrically. The distinct microbial community structure associated with Introduced lineage populations suggest that novel associations may facilitate invasion. Structural equation modeling of the common garden experiment also provides evidence that P. australis lineage engineers the rhizosphere microbial community.