Seagrasses can form mutualisms with their microbiomes that facilitate the exchange of energy sources, nutrients, and hormones and ultimately impact plant stress resistance. Little is known about community succession within the belowground seagrass microbiome after disturbance and its potential role in the plant’s recovery after transplantation. We transplanted Zostera marina shoots with and without an intact rhizosphere and cultivated plants for 4 weeks while characterizing microbiome recovery and effects on plant traits. Rhizosphere and root microbiomes were compositionally distinct, likely representing discrete microbial niches. Furthermore, microbiomes of washed transplants were initially different from those of sod transplants and recovered to resemble an undisturbed state within 14 days. Conspicuously, changes in the microbial communities of washed transplants corresponded with changes in the rhizosphere sediment mass and root biomass, highlighting the strength and responsive nature of the relationship between plants, their microbiome, and the environment. Potential mutualistic microbes that were enriched over time include those that function in the cycling and turnover of sulfur, nitrogen, and plant-derived carbon in the rhizosphere environment. These findings highlight the importance and resilience of the seagrass microbiome after disturbance. Consideration of the microbiome will have meaningful implications for habitat restoration practices.

中文翻译：

---

Zostera滨海根瘤菌组移植后的恢复和群落演替

海草可以与其微生物群落形成共生关系，从而促进能源，营养素和激素的交换，并最终影响植物的抗逆性。扰乱后地下海草微生物组内的群落演替及其在移植后植物恢复中的潜在作用知之甚少。我们移植了Zostera码头在有或没有完整根际的情况下进行芽苗，并在培养植物4周的同时表征微生物组的恢复及其对植物性状的影响。根际微生物群和根微生物群在成分上是不同的，可能代表了离散的微生物生态位。此外，洗涤过的移植物的微生物组最初不同于草皮移植物，并在14天内恢复为未受干扰的状态。值得注意的是，经过冲洗的移植物中微生物群落的变化与根际沉积物质量和根系生物量的变化相对应，突显了植物，其微生物组和环境之间关系的强度和响应性。随着时间的流逝，潜在的共生微生物包括那些在硫和氮的循环和周转中起作用的微生物，根际环境中的植物源碳。这些发现突出了干扰后海草微生物组的重要性和复原力。对微生物组的考虑将对栖息地恢复做法产生有意义的影响。