Community analysis of Persian oak fungal microbiome under dust storm conditions

- Dust storms carry several fungal species to the downwind ecosystems.
- Dust storms have negative effects on endophytic fungal richness and diversity.
- Dust storms may be linked to oak decline through changing endophytic communities.

Dust storms have major effects on terrestrial ecosystems through the long-distance transport and deposition of particulate matter. It is unclear how dust deposition affects plant-associated microbiomes in downwind ecosystems. Here we show that dust deposition may negatively influence the isolation, richness, and diversity of endophytic fungal communities of Persian oak. We used culture-based methods paired with Sanger sequencing to examine these effects on fungal assemblages isolated from leaf, branch and deposited dust. Increased amounts of dust deposition led to decreased endophytic fungal diversity in plant tissues but increased fungal diversity in deposited dust layers on leaves. Dust deposition decreased the abundance of a dominant endophyte in branches with promising biocontrol properties. Endophytic fungal communities found in leaves were more similar to fungal assemblages of deposited dust in comparison to branch endophytes. Our results suggest that dust storms may have ecosystem-wide effects by altering the fungal microbiomes of forest-forming trees.

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