Format: ORAL

Sayantika Banerjee*1,2, Dina in t Zandt2,3, Dinesh Thakur2, Zuzana Mnzbergov1,2

1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01 Praha 2, Czech Republic 2. Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, v. v. i., Zámek 1, 252 43 Pruhonice, Czech Republic 3. Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands *Correspondence: banerjesa@natur.cuni.cz

Lately studies on root microbe interactions have gained prominence as plant roots in their natural environment are in constant interaction with diverse microorganisms. Plant roots assemble two distinct microbial compartments rhizosphere and endosphere. Root biota influences plant growth and performance by modulating the effects of biotic and abiotic stressors. However, climate change is causing changes in the composition of root biota that affects host plant functions. While plants primary response to changes in climate is adjustment of their physiology, root biota which has shorter generation times, responds by rapid changes in community composition. Changes in climatic factors occur in combination of precipitation, temperature and their fluctuations. Understanding the separate and interactive effects of different climatic drivers is important. Vegetation composition and soil chemistry also strongly affect root biota.Identification of the direct effect of climate on root biota is difficult as both soil chemistry and vegetation composition are changing along climatic gradients. Hence, there is a need to deepen our understanding of how root microbial diversity and functional composition will shift in root biota of specific plant species as climatic and edaphic conditions are changing most strongly in montane ecosystems. In this study root associated fungal communities were studied along a climatic gradient in a dominant alpine Himalayan shrub species. Site and elevation significantly affected both rhizosphere and root fungal communities. Variation in rhizosphere and root fungal communities was related to soil moisture, soil chemistry and plant community composition. Highest number of OTUs were found in rhizosphere as compared to endosphere fungal communities. This study contributes to our knowledge of below ground biotic mechanisms that affect the functioning and adaptation of natural plant populations under stressful conditions in vulnerable ecosystems. It will enable in the formulation of evidence-based conservation and management strategies especially for species under threat of climate change.