Hiking up to the next plot…
The microbes living on and inside plant organs (the microbiome) can greatly impact the health and growth of the host plant. However, despite recent research into the processes and mechanisms behind these relationships, there is still much to learn about how they evolved. This proposal outlines a plan to study the evolution of plant-microbiome interactions using the wild perennial mustard Boechera stricta as a model system. The project will (1) collect longitudinal data on the microbiome composition of plants from wild B. stricta populations along an elevational transect in Gothic Valley over multiple years, (2) isolate bacteria and fungi from roots of the same plants to create a collection of native strains for use in future experiments, and (3) collect soil samples from nearby existing common garden experiments for use as inocula in future experiments. This work will provide preliminary data and resources for future studies and help build a research program focused on the evolution of B. stricta and its microbes in the context of climate change and water stress.