Limited restoration of plant microbiomes: insights from fungal assemblages of a peatland dominant
Martina Vašutová, Hedvika Synková, Michal Choma, Sujan Balami, Markéta Šandová, Kamila VítovcováAbstract
Introduction
Plants are not solitary organisms; they host diverse and largely unexplored microbiomes that shape their health, adaptability, and ecosystem roles. Recent environmental sequencing findings have revealed that each plant species harbors a unique fungal assemblage. However, these microorganisms are frequently disregarded in conservation and restoration activities.
Objectives
This study aimed to explore how fungal assemblages associated with Eriophorum vaginatum , a pioneer keystone species in restored peat bogs, recover after habitat destruction.
Methods
Using Illumina sequencing, we analyzed fungal ITS2 DNA from living leaves, dead leaves, and dead flowering stems of 50 E. vaginatum tufts in undisturbed and industrially extracted raised bogs, undergoing spontaneous restoration.
Results
Habitat disturbance significantly altered fungal assemblages in living and dead leaves, explaining up to 17.6% and 14.6% of variability in species composition, respectively. In undisturbed bogs, assemblages of living leaves were consistent across samples and distinct from those in disturbed bogs, suggesting a long‐term association between plants and fungi. However, assemblages in dead leaves of some later‐stage tufts show similarity to those from undisturbed bogs, indicating potential for recovery. Additionally, species composition in dead leaves was influenced by the abundance of neighboring E. vaginatum , which may facilitate the establishment of species characteristic of undisturbed bogs.
Conclusions
While vegetation can regenerate, the microbial networks underpinning natural ecosystems and adapted to historical conditions cannot be easily restored. Whereas assemblages from dead leaves may partially reestablish, those on living leaves remain distinct, even after roughly two decades of restoration.