Invasive bluestem on soil fungal communties

The spread of Old-World Bluestem (OWB; grasses in the genus Bothriochloa) has become an increasing concern for ecologists and land managers across the southern and central Great Plains. Hard to control, tolerant of harsh conditions such as drought and poor soils, and resistant to most herbicides, OWB have been shown to frequently out compete native grass species and displace them from their original habitats. This study used nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding techniques to assay soil fungal diversity around native and invasive blue stems.

旧世界须芒草（Old-World Bluestem, OWB；指Bothriochloa属禾草）的扩散，已成为美国大平原南部与中部地区生态学家与土地管理者日益关切的问题。该物种难以防控，可耐受干旱、贫瘠土壤等严苛环境，且对多数除草剂具有抗性；研究表明，其常能排挤本土禾草物种，并将其逐出原生栖息地。本研究采用核核糖体内部转录间隔区（nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, ITS）宏条形码技术，针对本土与入侵性须芒草周边的土壤真菌多样性开展了检测分析。