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Interspecific variation and environmental drivers of rhizosphere microbiomes in endemic Impatiens species

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction Understanding rhizosphere microbiomes of endemic plants is crucial for their conservation, yet it remains poorly explored, in particular for species-rich genera with high endemism rates like Impatiens . Methods We investigated rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities of five Impatiens species (including two endemics) across altitude gradients in subtropical China using high-throughput sequencing. We analyzed microbial community structure in relation to environmental factors, soil properties, and plant traits. Results Significant interspecific variations were observed in both bacterial and fungal communities, with endemic species harboring distinct microbiomes. Fungal communities showed stronger species-specificity than bacterial communities, particularly in the endemic I. suichangensis . Redundancy analysis revealed that elevation explained a substantially higher proportion of fungal community variation compared to bacterial variation. Soil nutrients and pH strongly influenced microbial community structure, while plant traits showed species-specific correlations with particular microbial taxa. Notably, companion plant diversity positively correlated with fungal diversity indices. Discussion These findings highlight the complex associations among plant traits, environmental factors, and rhizosphere microbiomes in Impatiens species, providing correlative evidence for potential plant-microbe interactions in endemic plant species. Our results emphasize the importance of considering both above- and below-ground components in conservation strategies for endemic plant species.
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1567041
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W4410186000
FWCI: 1.534
Cites: 45
Cited by: 3
Related to: 10