A Pilot Investigation of the Hidden Communities Associated With Dryas octopetala L. (Rosaceae) in Svalbard Using DNA Metabarcoding

Dryas octopetala is one of the most important botanical components of Arctic tundra. In parts of the Norwegian High Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard it can face strong grazing pressure, in particular of its flowers, by the Svalbard reindeer, whilst its production of mature viable seeds may be impacted by climate changes. Diverse organisms are associated with the habitat provided by flowering plants, some with the roots (rhizosphere) and others with the above-ground surface of a plant (phyllosphere). Climatic changes affecting Svalbard may lead to the local expansion or reduction of plant populations and their associated communities. In this study, we carried out an initial investigation of non-fungal eukaryotic communities associated with D. octopetala collected from four sampling locations at Vindodden on Svalbard using DNA metabarcoding. The diversity of organisms assigned based on the DNA sequences obtained was higher in the rhizosphere (6 phyla) than in the phyllosphere (11 phyla). The assignments included taxa that are common in Svalbard as well as some from various parts of the world but not recorded from the archipelago.