PLP Seminars Fall 2025 speaker Natalia Kazalinsk
September 15, 2025 1:30PM - 2:30PM
PSSB A 271 Conference Room
Effect of Ulex europaeus on diversity of rhizospheric communities associated with Espeletia spp.
Abstract:
Colombia harbors several highly biodiverse ecosystems of international interest. Among these, the Andean páramo provides several ecosystemic resources essential to Latin Americans' lives and well-being. This ecosystem is one of very high endemism and among these endemic plant species are plants of the tribe Espeletiinae, commonly referred to as frailejones, which are representative of the ecosystem. However, invasive species pose an unprecedented threat to the páramo and its flora, especially Ulex europaeus. Although the obvious effects of these plants include the displacement of native plants in competition for resources, little is known about the effects of plant invasions on soil microbial communities. In this study, soil samples were collected from Espeletia spp. individuals from three different páramos in Boyacá, Colombia. These samples underwent physicochemical analyses and metabarcoding for fungal and bacterial communities using Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Some physicochemical characteristics were disturbed by the presence of U. europaeus. The increased availability of nutrients, particularly ammoniacal nitrogen, appears to correlate with greater alpha diversity of bacteria and lower diversity of fungi.
Also, some samples showed higher diversity in the absence of the invasive species, although a definite trend was difficult to establish due to the high variability of the results. Taxonomic assignment using Emu determined the presence of a fungal and bacterial core of eight and 23 taxa, respectively. The many taxa that did not reach genus or species level likely correspond to new ones that have not yet been described. Different taxonomical distributions, especially for fungi, were observed between samples with or without U. europaeus. This study is one of the first to look into microbial diversity of soils of the Colombian páramo, as well as an initial description of repercussions of plant invasions in a unique and priceless ecosystem.
See complete list of PLP Seminars Fall 2025 here
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