The correlation between the taxonomic composition of Alphaproteobacteria, Burkholderia and nitrogen fixers associated with the lichen Lobaria pulmonaria and the geographical distribution of the host was studied across four sites in Europe. Results proved that the diversity of Alphaproteobacteria is affected by geography, while those of Burkholderia and nitrogen fixers were mostly driven by local habitat. This difference indicates a higher stability of the association between Alphaproteobacteria and the lichen host.
© 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.