Neighbourhood tree competition promotes microbial diversity in phyllosphere

The microbiome inhabiting the surface of leaves (i.e., the phyllosphere) is essential for supporting plant health and productivity. Plant diversity is known to drive soil biodiversity belowground, yet, the relevance of plant diversity in supporting leaf microbial diversity remains poorly understood. Here, we used a large forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China and quantified the relative contributions of tree species diversity, host tree functional traits and tree competition in shaping the phyllosphere microbiome.