A large number of mutualistic microorganisms interact closely with their plant hosts. These microorganisms have an impact on plant metabolism, hormonal pathways, growth, fitness, and competition for nutrients. The phenotypic properties of plants can be influenced by the interactions between the plant and its microbial associates. By altering plant functional traits, the plant microbiome has the potential to mediate a wide range of ecological, evolutionary and ecosystem processes.
It is possible for microorganisms to mediate plant functional traits such as nutrient acquisition, defense, morphology, and tolerance to abiotic stress in several ways, including synthesizing and providing biologically active chemicals or altering existing plant pathways by manipulating phytohormones. Different ways in which microbes mediate plant functional traits suggest that plants and microbes have coevolved over time. Microbial influences on plant functional traits significantly alter the distribution and abundance of plant species, i.e., their niche, and thus influence ecosystem processes and functions such as carbon and nitrogen cycling and nutrient acquisition. Investigating the associations of plant functional traits with microorganisms would thus be critical for our understanding of how plants can benefit from their microbial partners.
The papers presented in this Research Topic primarily focus on new and cutting-edge knowledge on the following intriguing subtopics:
· Microbial mediation of plant functional traits;
· Host-microbiome interactions (e.g., host-microbe symbiosis) and plant health;
· Distribution and abundance of plant-associated microbes across tissues and ecosystems;
· Evolutionary genetics of plant traits and microbial fitness;
· Ecological context and fitness outcomes related to microbially mediated plant traits.
A large number of mutualistic microorganisms interact closely with their plant hosts. These microorganisms have an impact on plant metabolism, hormonal pathways, growth, fitness, and competition for nutrients. The phenotypic properties of plants can be influenced by the interactions between the plant and its microbial associates. By altering plant functional traits, the plant microbiome has the potential to mediate a wide range of ecological, evolutionary and ecosystem processes.
It is possible for microorganisms to mediate plant functional traits such as nutrient acquisition, defense, morphology, and tolerance to abiotic stress in several ways, including synthesizing and providing biologically active chemicals or altering existing plant pathways by manipulating phytohormones. Different ways in which microbes mediate plant functional traits suggest that plants and microbes have coevolved over time. Microbial influences on plant functional traits significantly alter the distribution and abundance of plant species, i.e., their niche, and thus influence ecosystem processes and functions such as carbon and nitrogen cycling and nutrient acquisition. Investigating the associations of plant functional traits with microorganisms would thus be critical for our understanding of how plants can benefit from their microbial partners.
The papers presented in this Research Topic primarily focus on new and cutting-edge knowledge on the following intriguing subtopics:
· Microbial mediation of plant functional traits;
· Host-microbiome interactions (e.g., host-microbe symbiosis) and plant health;
· Distribution and abundance of plant-associated microbes across tissues and ecosystems;
· Evolutionary genetics of plant traits and microbial fitness;
· Ecological context and fitness outcomes related to microbially mediated plant traits.
