FBIP: Linking ecosystem processes and soil microbial diversity in Rooibos and Honeybush

This project aims to use wild and cultivated Rooibos and Honeybush as model systems to investigate the influence of soil communities on ecosystem processes. These plants are ideal for such a study as little is known about their mycorrhizal associations, and their interactions with the soil communities. The results of the study are provided in Postma A, Slabbert E, Postma F, Jacobs K (2016). Soil bacterial communities associated with natural and commercial Cyclopia spp. FEMS Microbiology 92: (0nline): doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiw016; and Postma A, Slabbert E, Postma F, Jacobs K (2016). Bacterial communities associated with natural and commercially grown rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) plants. Microbial Ecology (submitted). DNA samples submitted to INSDC (EMBL-EBI/ENS, Genbank, DDBJ) with accession number https://ddbj.nig.ac.jp/DRASearch/submission?acc=DRA003953.