Bromeliads play a key ecological role in many Brazilian ecosystems, particularly in campos rupestres (Brazilian rupestrian grasslands), but face increasing threats from mining and extractive activities in the Iron Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Their water-filled leaf axils, or phytotelmata, host diverse microbial communities that may influence host fitness, although the ecological drivers shaping these communities remain poorly understood, especially in endangered campo rupestre ferruginoso (ferruginous rupestrian grasslands). In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and functional prediction (PICRUSt) to compare the prokaryotic communities in the phytotelmata of two co-occurring and morphologically distinct species, Aechmea nudicaulis and Vriesea minarum, from a conserved campo rupestre ferruginoso (ferruginous rupestrian grasslands) site in Serra da Piedade (Minas Gerais, Brazil). We hypothesized that differences in plant morphology and microenvironmental conditions between host species would result in distinct microbial community structure and functional potential. Although both species shared a microbial core, significant differences in alpha diversity, community composition and predicted functional profiles, were observed. The most abundant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, and Planctomycetes, while Euryarchaeota dominated among Archaea. Environmental variables such as pH, conductivity and inorganic carbon were correlated with community composition. Notably, predicted KOs associated with nitrogen and carbon cycling pathways showed differential abundance between the two host species. These findings indicate that bromeliad phytotelmata function as host- and environment-filtered microhabitats, supporting distinct and diverse microbial communities. Given their roles in nutrient cycling, such interactions may influence plant fitness and ecosystem functioning. Understanding these relationships is important for guiding conservation efforts in fragile montane systems.
Soil fungal symbionts play a central role in regulating plant performance and ecosystem functioning, yet their responses to environmental gradients in tropical dry forests remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated how environmental factors shape soil fungal communities associated with two key legume trees, Brachystegia boehmii and Brachystegia spiciformis, from the Miombo woodlands. Using ITS2 metabarcoding, we characterized fungal diversity, composition, and predicted functional potential across gradients of soil type, fire frequency, and protected area (Niassa Special Reserve and Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique). Fungal communities were dominated by Basidiomycota and Ascomycota across all conditions, with limited variation at the phylum level. In contrast, genus-level composition and community structure differed significantly between protected areas and soil types. Alpha diversity was higher in Gorongosa National Park, while soil type emerged as the strongest driver of both diversity and community composition. Fire frequency showed no significant effect on alpha diversity and only a limited influence on community structure. Host tree identity contributed to compositional differences but played a secondary role relative to edaphic factors. Functional predictions indicated distinct metabolic profiles across environmental gradients, suggesting shifts in stress-response pathways and secondary metabolism. Overall, our results support a hierarchical model of fungal community assembly in Miombo systems, where soil properties and host identity act as primary environmental filters, while fire plays a comparatively minor role under the conditions studied. These findings highlight the importance of belowground microbial processes in shaping ecosystem resilience in fire-prone tropical dry forests.
Global climate change, particularly rising sea levels, is intensifying salinity intrusion in coastal ecosystems, posing major challenges to mangrove productivity, distribution, and survival. Excessive salinity disrupts plant physiological and biochemical processes, thereby limiting growth and ecosystem functioning. Among the diverse microorganisms associated with mangroves, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in enhancing plant adaptation to saline environments and supporting ecosystem sustainability. This review synthesizes the adverse effects of salinity on mangrove growth, physiological performance, and biochemical processes and evaluates the role of AMF in alleviating salt-induced stress. Particular emphasis is placed on AMF-mediated improvements in plant growth, photosynthetic performance, nutrient acquisition, ionic regulation, antioxidant defence, osmoregulation, and secondary metabolism, together with their contributions to rhizosphere processes and soil functioning. The review also highlights the potential of AMF interactions with other beneficial microorganisms and their application in mangrove restoration and rehabilitation. Despite promising experimental evidence, field-scale application remains constrained by inoculant establishment, ecological compatibility, environmental context dependency, and long-term persistence. Future research integrating advanced omics, functional validation, synthetic microbial consortia, microbiome engineering, field-scale inoculation, long-term monitoring, and economic assessment could improve the predictability and scalability of AMF-based restoration. Overall, AMF represent a promising nature-based and sustainable strategy for improving mangrove resilience to salinity and supporting the restoration, rehabilitation, and long-term functioning of salt-affected coastal ecosystems.
Rhizobial genera could benefit cropping systems tremendously because of its biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) ability. It offers several functional benefits to agro-ecosystems. We investigated BNF services by Rhizobial genera bacteria in modern agro-ecosystems with desktop research. Following a comprehensive literature review, we addressed some specific points, i.e., what services and benefits do Rhizobial genera bacteria perform throughout the process of BNF?” and “How much is the value of these services?“. To accomplish our research goals, we reviewed the literature and analyzed the ecosystem services (ESs) assessment related to BNF. Initially, a global inventory of the leguminous plants cultivated in agro-ecosystems was collected and documented. Next, each plant’s BNF content was measured and divided into four groups, ranging from extremely high to low. The roles, impacts, and services that BNF provides to agro-ecosystems were all gathered and categorized in the subsequent stage. In this work, we used the updated MEA (BNF-MEA) as the basis of developing a new framework for BNF services (ES). The replacement cost method was used to value the BNF services. Results showed that alfalfa, red clover, and white clover had the highest capacity for BNF. These plants were classified in the “very high’ class. However, three plants, including common bean, mung-bean, and bladder clover, had the lowest ability to produce BNF. According to our findings, BNF can have a significant impact on the provision of 31 services, goods, functions and benefits, both directly and indirectly. The economic value of nitrogen fixation based on approximate estimates varied between 29.10 and 248.60 /ha. Additionally, South Africa, Australia, and Brazil had far higher economic values of BNF than other chosen nations. Utilizing the BNF service can help farmers in these countries reduce their agricultural production expenses.
Though laboratory information management systems (LIMSs) have become commonplace in high-throughput biomedical laboratories, standardized data storage and retrieval remain inconsistent in studies of organismal relationships and symbioses. Here we provide a case study on a biological sample management system designed for a small laboratory whose work with insects and culturable symbionts necessitates high sample tracking capacity but a low barrier to usage. In this paper, we discuss the development of this system from a design perspective, addressing other symbiologists who may not have an extensive database or application development background but still want a more efficient way to keep track of complicated data. We discuss problems related to complex networks of sample provenance, “human-readable” identifying information, standardization of terms and identification procedures, and designing a user interface for rapid data entry and retrieval. Our straightforward database structure and its corresponding application demonstrate that creating a flexible, customizable LIMS for studying symbiosis can be low-cost and does not require highly specialized technological expertise.
