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Oak seedling microbiome assembly under climate warming and drought
Daniel Hoefle1, Milena Sommer2, Birgit Wassermann2
1Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Max-Eyth Allee 100, 14469, Potsdam, Germany.
Environmental Microbiome
|August 28, 2024
Summary
Climate change impacts oak plant microbiomes. Warming and drought significantly alter fungal and bacterial communities, especially in the phyllosphere, with implications for plant resilience.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Microbiology
- Climate Change Research
Background:
- Climate change poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide.
- The impact of climate change on plant-associated microbiomes remains underexplored.
- Understanding these effects is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of warming and drought on oak plant microbiomes.
- To analyze the impact on both bacterial and fungal communities.
- To assess these effects from seed to seedling stages.
Main Methods:
- A multifactorial experiment simulating warming (15°C, 20°C, 25°C) and drought (15% soil moisture).
- Oak acorns were grown to the seedling stage under controlled conditions.
- Bacterial and fungal communities in rhizosphere and phyllosphere were analyzed using amplicon sequencing and qPCR.
Main Results:
- Temperature had a greater impact on fungal diversity than bacterial diversity, particularly in the phyllosphere.
- Drought conditions combined with higher temperatures negatively affected phyllosphere fungal diversity.
- Rhizosphere fungal composition shifted due to species turnover, and Actinobacteriota (known for drought tolerance) was enriched under drought.
Conclusions:
- Climate warming and drought significantly shape the oak plant microbiome.
- The phyllosphere is more sensitive to these climate change factors than the rhizosphere.
- The enrichment of drought-tolerant bacteria suggests potential adaptive mechanisms in plant microbiomes.
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