Bacterial communities associated with Olive tree root system and orchard soils along an aridity transect in Tunisia

Investigation about how plant associated microbial communities respond to increasing aridity is of particular importance, especially in light of the global climate changes predictions. To assess the effect of aridity on plant associated bacterial communities, we investigated the diversity and cooccurrence of bacteria associated with the bulk soil and the root system of olive trees cultivated in orchards located along semi arid, upper-arid, and middle/lower arid regions of Tunisia. The results indicated that the selective process mediated by the plant root system was amplified with the increment of aridity.