Agricultural land use disrupts biodiversity mediation of virus infections in wild plant populations.

ABSTRACT: Human alteration of natural habitats may change the processes governing species interactions in wild communities. Wild populations are increasingly impacted by agricultural intensification, yet it is unknown whether this alters biodiversity mediation of disease dynamics. We investigated the association between plant diversity (species richness, diversity) and infection risk (virus richness, prevalence) in populations of Plantago lanceolata in natural landscapes as well as those occurring at the edges of cultivated fields. Altogether, 27 P. lanceolata populations were surveyed for population characteristics and sampled for PCR detection of five recently characterized viruses. We find that plant species richness and diversity correlated negatively with virus infection prevalence. Virus speci

SUBMITTER: Susi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8248426 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature