Divergence of Rhizobia and Mycorrhizae From Native and Introduced Lespedeza Species.

Severely disturbed grasslands and shrublands are often colonized by non-mycorrhizal plant species, and succession generally proceeds to species more dependent on mycorrhizae, as mycorrhizea increase in the soil over time.  It is hypothesized that some invasive species may arrest this successional progression by suppressing density and diversity of soil symbionts.  This paper will highlight divergence of mycorrhizae and Rhizobia from root and rhizosphere soil samples collected from both native and introduced/invasive Lespedeza species dominated sites across a wide geographic gradient in North America.