Native and alien grasses as a hebitat for fungi

Abstract

Biological invasions are now seen as one of the main threats to the Antarctic ecosystem. An exam-ple of such an invasion is the recent colonization of the H. Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station area by the non-native grass Poa annua. This site was previously occupied only by native plants like the Antarctic hair grass Deschampsia antarctica. To adapt successfully to new conditions, plants interact with soil microorganisms, including fungi. The aim of this study was to determine how the newly introduced grass P. annua established interaction with fungi compared to resident grass D. antarc-tica. We found that fungal diversity in D. antarctica roots was significantly higher compared to P. annua roots. D. antarctica managed a biodiverse microbiome due to its ability to recruit fungal bi-ocontrol agents from soil and thus maintaining a beneficial nature of the endophyte community. P. annua relied on a set of specific fungal taxa which likely modulated its cold-response, increasing its competitiveness in Antarctic conditions. Cultivated endophytic fungi displayed strong chitinoly-sis, pointing towards their role as phytopathogenic fungi, nematode and insect antagonists. This is the first study to compare the root mycobiomes of both grass species by direct cul-ture-independent techniques as well as culture-based methods.