Structure and function of the soil rhizosphere fungal communities in medicinal plants - a preliminary study

Plants regulate their rhizosphere microbiome, which partly comprises the fungal community. We analyzed the fungal rhizosphere community of five medicinal plant species (Origanum syriacum, Salvia fruticosa, Teucrium capitatum, Myrtus communis, and Pistacia lentiscus) and the soil from an inter-shrub area as control, to determine the effect they have on the said community. We measured abiotic parameters (soil moisture, organic matter content, pH, electrical conductivity) and used sequencing to determine the rhizosphere fungal community, both taxonomically, as phyla and genera, and functionally, as trophic modes. Our data show that the rhizosphere fungal communities were significantly different, both taxonomically and functionally.