@article {KNZ001395,
	title = {Genomic and resistance gene homolog diversity of the dominant tallgrass prairie species across the U.S. Great Plains precipitation gradient},
	journal = {PLoS ONE},
	volume = {6:e17641},
	year = {2011},
	abstract = {<p>Background Environmental variables such as moisture availability are often important in determining species prevalence and intraspecific diversity. The population genetic structure of dominant plant species in response to a cline of these variables has rarely been addressed. We evaluated the spatial genetic structure and diversity of Andropogon gerardii populations across the U.S. Great Plains precipitation gradient, ranging from approximately 48 cm/year to 105 cm/year. Methodology/Principal Findings Genomic diversity was evaluated with AFLP markers and diversity of a disease resistance gene homolog was evaluated by PCR-amplification and digestion with restriction enzymes. We determined the degree of spatial genetic structure using Mantel tests. Genomic and resistance gene homolog diversity were evaluated across prairies using Shannon\&$\#$39;s index and by averaging haplotype dissimilarity. Trends in diversity across prairies were determined using linear regression of diversity on average precipitation for each prairie. We identified significant spatial genetic structure, with genomic similarity decreasing as a function of distance between samples. However, our data indicated that genome-wide diversity did not vary consistently across the precipitation gradient. In contrast, we found that disease resistance gene homolog diversity was positively correlated with precipitation. Significance Prairie remnants differ in the genetic resources they maintain. Selection and evolution in this disease resistance homolog is environmentally dependent. Overall, we found that, though this environmental gradient may not predict genomic diversity, individual traits such as disease resistance genes may vary significantly.</p>},
	keywords = {LTER-KNZ, Amplified fragment length polymorphism, Cloning, Hexaploidy, Maize, Plant genomics, Plant pathology, Ploidy, Population genetics},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0017641},
	url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0017641},
	author = {Rouse, M.N. and Saleh, A.A. and Seck, A. and Keeler, K.H. and Travers, S.E. and Hulbert, S.H. and Garrett, K.A.}
}
@article {KNZ001266,
	title = {Relatedness of Macrophomina phaseolina  isolates from tallgrass prairie, maize, soybean, and sorghum},
	journal = {Molecular  Ecology},
	volume = {19},
	year = {2010},
	pages = {79 -91},
	abstract = {<p>Agricultural and wild ecosystems may interact through shared pathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina, a generalist clonal fungus with more than 284 plant hosts that is likely to become more important under climate change scenarios of increased heat and drought stress. To evaluate the degree of subdivision in populations of M. phaseolina in Kansas agriculture and wildlands, we compared 143 isolates from maize fields adjacent to tallgrass prairie, nearby sorghum fields, widely dispersed soybean fields and isolates from eight plant species in tallgrass prairie. Isolate growth phenotypes were evaluated on a medium containing chlorate. Genetic characteristics were analysed based on amplified fragment length polymorphisms and the sequence of the rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The average genetic similarity was 58\% among isolates in the tallgrass prairie, 71\% in the maize fields, 75\% in the sorghum fields and 80\% in the dispersed soybean fields. The isolates were divided into four clusters: one containing most of the isolates from maize and soybean, two others containing isolates from wild plants and sorghum, and a fourth containing a single isolate recovered from Solidago canadensis in the tallgrass prairie. Most of the sorghum isolates had the dense phenotype on media containing chlorate, while those from other hosts had either feathery or restricted phenotypes. These results suggest that the tallgrass prairie supports a more diverse population of M. phaseolina per area than do any of the crop species. Subpopulations show incomplete specialization by host. These results also suggest that inoculum produced in agriculture may influence tallgrass prairie communities, and conversely that different pathogen subpopulations in tallgrass prairie can interact there to generate \&lsquo;hybrids\&rsquo; with novel genetic profiles and pathogenic capabilities.</p>},
	keywords = {LTER-KNZ},
	doi = {10.1111/j.1365-294X.2009.04433.x},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2009.04433.x},
	author = {Saleh, A.A. and Ahmed, H.U. and Todd, T.C. and Travers, S.E. and Zeller, K.A. and Leslie, J.F. and Garrett, K.A.}
}
