Oomycete communities in a lowland tropical forest in the Republic of Panama
The soils in lowland tropics are teeming with microbial life which can impact plant community structure and diversity through plant-soil feedbacks. While bacteria and fungi have been the focus of most studies in the tropics, the oomycetes may have an outsized effect on seed and seedling health and survival, given their affinity for environments with increased precipitation and temperature.The aim of this study was to understand the species diversity, distribution, abundance and pathogenicity of soil-borne oomycetes in a lowland tropical forest in Panama. The goals of this project were to: 1) compare and contrast the efficacy of methods for estimating oomycete diversity; 2) assess the pathogenicity and host range of the recovered oomycetes; and 3) determine the factors structuring oomycete communities in the soil of a lowland tropical forest.