Ms Lottie Armstrong, Syaliny Ganasamurthy1, Kathryn Walker2, Celine Mercier2, Steve Wakelin1
1Scion, Christchurch 8011, Aotearoa / New Zealand, 1Scion, Rotorua 3010, Aotearoa / New Zealand
Biography:
Lottie is a microbiome scientist at Scion Research, where she specializes in the study of plant and environmental microbiomes. Along with the rest of her team at Scion, this research group uses Pinus radiata as a model host system to understand the fundamentals of tree holobionts and infer how these microbial communities influence forest health and ecosystem functions.
Abstract:
This presentation explores the microbiome associated with Pinus radiata pollen. Despite being the most widely planted conifer (and likely tree) species globally, little is known of the pollen microbiome of P. radiata. By analysing samples collected from different locations across Canterbury, New Zealand, and over two years (2020-2021), we reveal that P. radiata pollen primarily harbours a stable core microbiome, characterized by a consistent presence of specific fungal and bacterial taxa. The microbiome is likely to be fungal dominated, contrasting with the predominantly bacterial microbiomes found in many angiosperm species. Neither sampling location nor year of collection had a significant impact on the fungal component of the pine pollen microbiome, however, some bacterial taxa exhibited sensitivity to geographic distances and yearly variations. While the microbiome of P. radiata was similar to that of other plant species at Phyla level, unique core members were identified at genus level. The presentation will detail how these findings underscore the significant role of the host plant in shaping the pollen microbiome, providing new perspectives on the ecological functions and interactions within gymnosperm pollen systems. By enhancing our understanding of these dynamics, this research contributes to broader ecological knowledge and suggests directions for future studies on the functional roles of pollen microbiomes of pine.