Soil chemistry and fungal communities are associated with dieback in an Endangered Australian shrub.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Field surveys across known populations of the Endangered Persoonia hirsuta (Proteaceae) in 2019 suggested the soil environment may be associated with dieback in this species. To explore how characteristics of the soil environment (e.g., pathogens, nutrients, soil microbes) relate to dieback, a soil bioassay (Experiment 1) was conducted using field soils from two dieback effected P. hirsuta populations. Additionally, a nitrogen addition experiment (Experiment 2) was conducted to explore how the addition of soil nitrogen impacts dieback.

Methods

The field soils were baited for pathogens, and soil physiochemical and microbial community characteristics were assessed and related to dieback among plants in the field and nursery-grown plants inocul

SUBMITTER: Andres SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9525234 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature