Regional variation drives differences in microbial communities associated with sugar maple across a latitudinal range

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Microbiology
• Climate Change Science

Background:

• Climate change drives plant range expansion, leading to new host-microbe interactions.
• Understanding these shifts is crucial for predicting plant health and ecosystem function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how plant-associated microbial diversity changes with sugar maple range expansion.
• To assess the roles of host genotype and environment in structuring these microbial communities.

Main Methods:

• Sugar maple seeds were collected across the current range and planted in current and predicted future ranges.
• Amplicon sequencing was used to analyze bacterial, fungal, and mycorrhizal communities in leaves and roots.

Main Results:

• Environmental variation (site and region) was the primary driver of microbial community differences, more so than seed provenance.
• No consistent pattern in microbial richness, diversity, or specialization was observed across all taxa and plant compartments.
• A decrease in mycorrhizal diversity and fungal leaf pathogens was noted along the latitudinal gradient.

Conclusions:

• Environmental factors significantly shape plant microbiomes during range shifts.
• Reduced mycorrhizal diversity may hinder maple establishment in new ranges.
• Further research integrating diverse microbial taxa and plant compartments is needed to understand climate-driven plant range shifts.