Data from: Amplicon pyrosequencing reveals the soil microbial diversity associated with invasive Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.)

The soil microbial community acts as a reservoir of microbes that directly
influences the structure and composition of the aboveground plant
community, promotes plant growth, increases stress tolerance and mediates
local patterns of nutrient cycling. Direct interactions between plants and
rhizosphere-dwelling microorganisms occur at, or near, the surface of the
root. Upon introduction and establishment, invasive plants modify the soil
microbial communities and soil biochemistry affecting bioremediation
efforts and future plant communities. Here, we used tag-encoded FLX
amplicon 454 pyrosequencing (TEFAP) to characterize the bacterial and
fungal community diversity in the rhizosphere of Berberis thunbergii DC.
(Japanese barberry) from invasive stands in coastal Maine to investigate
effects of soil type, soil chemistry and surrounding plant cover on the
soil microbial community structure. Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria,
Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia were the dominant bacterial phyla,
whereas fungal communities were comprised mostly of Ascomycota and
Basidiomycota phyla members, including Agaricomycetes and Sordariomycetes.
Bulk soil chemistry had more effect on the bacterial community structure
than the fungal community. An effect of geographic location was apparent
in the rhizosphere microbial communities, yet it was less significant than
the effect of surrounding plant cover. These data demonstrate a high
degree of spatial variation in the rhizosphere microbial communities of
Japanese barberry with apparent effects of soil chemistry, location and
canopy cover on the microbial community structure.