Leaf thickness and invasiveness determine the phyllosphere microbiota of
typical plants in the Shennongjia Dajiuhu wetland
Abstract
Phyllosphere microbiota play an important role in plant growth and
survival. The Dajiuhu wetland harbours a diverse range of plant species,
but the composition and functions of the leaf microbiota remain poorly
understood. We analysed the structures of the phyllosphere microbiota of
twelve typical plants in this wetland via 16S rRNA sequencing and
evaluated the determining factors and ecological role of the leaf
bacterial community. The structure and diversity of the leaf bacterial
community varied among plant species. Notably, the bacterial composition
of Polytrichum significantly differed from that of the other
plants. The specific leaf area was positively correlated with the Chao1
and Shannon indices, whereas the leaf thickness was negatively
correlated with them. Plant type, geographical location and invasiveness
affected the structure of the leaf bacterial community. The core
community comprised mainly Sphingomonas,
unclassified_f__Alcaligenaceae and
Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum. Further analysis revealed that
plant invasiveness influenced the species proportion and the network
relationship of leaf-associated bacteria, with invasive plants hosting
higher abundances of plant pathogens than noninvasive plants. Our
results suggested that leaf microbiota contribute to the ecological
functions of the host plants, offering a valuable basis for utilizing
microbiota to enhance plant adaptability and ecosystem stability
sustainably.