Differential Assembly of Core and Non-Core Host-Microbe Network Structures Along a Land-Use Change Gradient.

ABSTRACT: Microbial communities are fundamental to host health, yet their assembly dynamics under environmental change remain poorly understood. We analysed individual-level host-microbe networks in the non-native wild black rats (Rattus rattus) across a land-use gradient in Madagascar. By applying a moving prevalence threshold, we distinguished between core and non-core microbes and compared the assembly drivers shaping their network structures. Non-core microbes formed fragmented, modular networks shaped mainly by heterogeneous selection, reflecting environmental filtering. In contrast, core microbes exhibited stable, less modular networks driven primarily by stochastic ecological drift. These distinct assembly processes persisted across thresholds, highlighting fundamental differences in microbia

SUBMITTER: Markfeld M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12617391 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature