Biogeography of root-associated fungi in foundation grasses of the North American Great Plains

Root associated fungi control plant health and performance, particularly through adverse environmental conditions. To evaluate the variability and potential environmental drivers of these fungal communities, we sampled roots of common grass species (foundation species) across the Great Plains in sites ranging from Texas and New Mexico to Nebraska and Wyoming. We used Illumina MiSeq sequenced ITS2 barcodes to dissect fungal communities inhabiting these roots.