Invasive bluestem on soil fungal communties
The spread of Old-World Bluestem (OWB; grasses in the genus Bothriochloa) has become an increasing concern for ecologists and land managers across the southern and central Great Plains. Hard to control, tolerant of harsh conditions such as drought and poor soils, and resistant to most herbicides, OWB have been shown to frequently out compete native grass species and displace them from their original habitats. This study used nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) metabarcoding techniques to assay soil fungal diversity around native and invasive blue stems.