Abstract ID: 3.10389 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Plants select microbial species from surrounding soil communities through a number of mechanisms that include aboveground (shade, temperature) and belowground (moisture, nutrients) changes in addition to organic matter addition as root and leaf litter but, above all, through roots exudates. This process allows plants to select microbial species that best fit their interests. We looked at the effects of plant traits in a group of phylogenetically related species on the composition and structure of soil microbial communities. We selected eight Arenaria (Caryophyllaceae) species spreading along several mountains in the Andalusia region of Spain, all belonging to the same section, Plinthine. We expected that phylogenetically close plant species would share more microbial species than distantly related species, as they share similar requirements as well as morphological and physiological traits. We found that the different plant species form different microbial communities under their canopy, attracting or repelling species from the surrounding environment to different degree. Contrary to our expectations, preliminary results with Arenaria sp suggest this selection might be more dependent on plant traits than on phylogenetic relatedness.