Host Species Mediate Distinct Seed Microbiome Responses to Restoration.

Abstract

Microbial diversity is a key driver of ecosystem function, yet it remains poorly integrated into ecological restoration frameworks. While seeds are the primary dispersal unit of plants and the foundation of most restoration programs, the microbial communities they carry are rarely considered. Here, we assess whether sites that have undergone restoration have altered seed-associated microbial communities. We do this by comparing bacterial and fungal seed microbiomes across natural and restored landscapes. Using a landscape-scale sampling design, seeds were collected from multiple plant host species and populations across 41 sites spanning a broad latitudinal gradient. High-throughput sequenci..