Metagenome of Sphagnum conditioned microbiomes
Sphagnum peatmosses represent a major plant genera that are endemic to peatland ecosystems, where they contribute to key biogeochemical processes including the uptake and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon. Warming threatens Sphagnum mosses and the peatland ecosystems they reside in bringing to question the fate of vast global carbon stores. The competitive success of Sphagnum is attributed, in part, to their symbiotic interactions with microbial associates. These microbes have the potential to more rapidly change, thereby aiding host plant growth to warming. We investigated the importance of microbiome thermal origin on host plant thermotolerance by mechanically separating the microbiome from field-grown Sphagnum plants at thermally contrasting environments, and then transferring those microbiomes to germ-free plants and exposing them to temperature stress.