Algae-fungi symbioses and bacteria-fungi co-exclusion drive tree species-specific differences in canopy bark microbiomes.

ABSTRACT: With over 3 trillion trees, forest ecosystems comprise nearly one-third of the terrestrial surface of the Earth. Very little attention has been given to the exploration of the above-ground plant microbiome of trees, its complex trophic interactions, and variations among tree species. To address this knowledge gap, we applied a primer-independent shotgun metatranscriptomic approach to assess the entire living canopy bark microbiome comprising prokaryotic and eukaryotic primary producers, decomposers, and various groups of consumers. With almost 1500 genera, we found a high microbial diversity on three tree species with distinct bark textures: oak (Quercus robur), linden (Tilia cordata), both with rough bark, and maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) with smooth bark. Core co-occurrence network analys

SUBMITTER: Freudenthal J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11630260 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature