Effects of herbicides on the soil fungal community of Banksia woodlands, southwestern Australia

To investigate the responses of soil fungal communities to herbicides used to control common invasive species in Banksia woodlands, southwestern Australia, we conducted a trial under glasshouse conditions.Three herbicides (with active ingredients glyphosate, fluazifop-p-butyl, and pelargonic acid, respectively) were applied to pots containing field-collected soils and either Ehrharta calycina, a key invasive species , Eucalyptus todtiana a native tree of Banksia woodlands, or no plants. Treated soils were then subjected to high throughput sequencing to describe the fungal diversity, richness, abundance, community composition, and putative ecosystem function.