Characterising the soil fungal microbiome in metropolitan green spaces across a vegetation biodiversity gradient

Plant-soil feedbacks not only shape plant communities but also the abiotic and biotic nature of soils. These feedbacks are well-studied in natural and agricultural landscapes, but poorly studied in cities. Here, we investigated soil fungal communities, vegetation and soil abiotic properties in five urban green space types within urban Adelaide, South Australia. We surveyed eight, spatially-independent replicates of Sport Fields, Community Gardens, Parklands, Young Revegetation, and Old Revegetation sites. Vegetation strongly associated with soil fungal abundance and diversity. Revegetated urban green spaces had appreciably higher fungal diversity than other spaces, as well as greater richness in saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungi. We suggest that restoration of urban green space fungal microbiomes appears possible via replanting the native vegetation community. Such revegetation interventions will likely have positive outcomes for not only biodiversity conservation but also human health, via re-creating a biodiverse environmental microbiome.