Study species
Taraxacum officinale is an Asteraceae species originally from
Europe but now widely distributed worldwide and considered a serious
invasive species (Holm et al. 1997). In Chile, it has been able
to establish populations along the entire south-north latitudinal range
as well as west-east altitudinal gradients (Molina-Montenegro et al.
2012b, 2014), suggesting a wide climatic tolerance and/or great capacity
to cope with novel conditions (Molina-Montenegro and Naya 2012,
Molina-Montenegro et al. 2015, 2018). Although studies have been
conducted to assess the role of its intrinsic high environmental
tolerance, its competitive ability relative to local plants, and
positive interactions with other plants as drivers of the invasive
ability of T. officinale (Cavieres et al. 2005, Muñoz and
Cavieres 2008, Molina-Montenegro et al. 2012b, 2014), how its
performance in the new environments is modulated by the soil microbiome
remains unexplored.