Medusahead and soil microbial communities

Understanding plant-microbe relationships is important
for developing reliable control strategies for invasive plants. In a field
study located in California, USA, we investigated how soil microbial
communities differ across the invasion front of Taeniatherum caput-medusae (medusahead), an annual grass that has
rapidly invaded most of the western USA.

Plots were installed in
areas where medusahead invasion is successful (open grassland habitat) and not
successful (oak woodland habitat). Medusahead was seeded into plots at a range
of densities (from 0-50,000 seeds/m2) to simulate different levels
of invasion. Bulk soil was sampled from each plot two years after medusahead
seeds were sewn.