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Plant Compartments and Developmental Stages Modulate the Balance between Niche-Based and Neutral Processes in Soybean
I Moroenyane1, L Mendes2, J Tremblay3
1Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, 531 Boulevard des Prairies, Laval, Québec, H7V1B7, Canada.
Microbial Ecology
|January 19, 2021
Summary
Plant microbiome assembly is influenced by both niche-based processes and dispersal limitation. These factors vary across plant compartments and developmental stages, impacting bacterial community composition.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Ecology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Plant-associated microbial communities are crucial in agriculture.
- The ecological processes driving plant microbiome assembly remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the dominant ecological processes shaping the plant microbiome.
- To investigate how these processes vary across plant compartments and developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to analyze bacterial community composition.
- Null models integrating phylogenetic and distribution data evaluated assembly processes.
Main Results:
- Homogeneous selection was the dominant assembly process across plant compartments and developmental stages.
- Dispersal limitation was more prominent in epiphytic communities and during maturation.
- Assembly processes were modulated by plant compartments and developmental stages.
Conclusions:
- Niche-based processes are generally dominant in plant microbiome assembly.
- Dispersal limitation plays a significant, often underestimated, role in shaping these communities.
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