A core phyllosphere microbiome exists across distant populations of a tree species indigenous to New Zealand

Examines the hypothesis that the phyllosphere microbiome of Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) exhibits specific host association patterns congruent with those of a microbial community under host selective pressure (null hypothesis : the mānuka phyllosphere microbiome is recruited stochastically from the surrounding environment). Characterises the phyllosphere and associated soil microbiomes of five distinct and geographically distant mānuka populations across the North Island. Identifies a habitat-specific and relatively abundant core microbiome in the mānuka phyllosphere, which was persistent across all samples. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.