The root system of Pappostipa frigida as a hotspot of active bacterial communities in the Andean steppe of the Atacama desert

Our results indicate that the root system of Pappostipa frigida functions as a localized hotspot of microbial activity in an extreme arid environment by promoting the activation of dormant members of the soil microbial seed bank rather than by recruiting distinct taxa. By integrating microbial activity, functional traits, and culturability, this study highlights the central role of plant-associated microenvironments in regulating microbial life-history strategies in drylands and provides a mechanistic framework for understanding plant-microbe interactions under chronic environmental stress.