phyllosphere Targeted loci environmental. phyllosphere metagenome

The goal of this study was to identify the presence of a distance-decay relationship between bacterial communities on isolated tree leaves and to ascertain the relative importance of dispersal forces and environmental heterogeneity in shaping such a pattern. Previous phyllosphere studies found support for both processes but at distances of hundreds of kilometers. This study compared bacterial communities from leaves that were less than one kilometer apart. The phyllosphere may serve as a model system with which to test many concepts in microbial ecology, but proper knowledge of the mechanisms that affect microbial community assembly is necessary.