Every ash tree shares a core set of leaf bacteria
Burghard V, Wende S, Kahlenberg G, Häuser H, Kätzel R
Plant Signaling
If you've got an ash tree in your yard or neighborhood watching it decline from ash dieback, this research points toward a living toolkit on its leaves that might one day be boosted to help trees fight back.
Researchers checked the bacteria living on the leaves of 360 ash trees spread across 12 very different sites in Germany, from rainy regions to drier ones. They found three types of bacteria present on every single tree no matter where it grew, plus seven bacteria that make up a reliable 'core team' on ash leaves everywhere. But how these bacteria interact and support each other changed a lot depending on local rainfall, soil, tree age, and other site conditions, meaning each location has its own version of the team even though the core players stay the same.
Key Findings
Across 360 ash trees at 12 German sites, 755 bacterial genera were detected in total, but only three (Hymenobacter, Massilia, and Sphingomonas) were found at every single site.
Geography, precipitation, tree age, and leaf/soil chemistry together explained 22.1% of the variation in microbiome composition between sites.
Seven genera formed a consistent core leaf microbiome, with six hub taxa (often less common genera) proving essential for holding together locally distinct co-occurrence networks.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists sampled 360 ash trees across Germany and found that every tree carries a shared set of leaf bacteria, but how those microbes connect to each other varies a lot by location. Understanding this core community could help breed or manage ash trees with better resistance to diseases like ash dieback.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
The core taxa connectivity in leaf microbiomes in ash trees stands is modulated by host-related and environmental factors.
Forests cover large areas of the terrestrial land surface and play a key role in climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. Tree-associated microbial communities are integral components of f...
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Ash is the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ash refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash is the non-gaseous, non-liquid residue after complete combustion.