NCN MINIATURA grant for research on the influence of mycorrhiza on the evolution of woody plants on islands

20 07 2026

Dr Kamil Frankiewicz from the University of Warsaw Herbarium (Faculty of Biology) at the University of Warsaw has received funding from the National Science Centre, Poland, in the amount of PLN 49,995 under the MINIATURA funding scheme for the implementation of the project entitled “The mycorrhizal filter in the evolution of insular woodiness”.

The project focuses on the evolution of secondary woodiness in island plants and the potential role of root symbioses and the soil microbiome in this process. Secondary woodiness refers to the evolution of woody growth forms, such as shrubs or small trees, from herbaceous ancestors. This phenomenon is particularly common on oceanic islands, where isolation and specific climatic and environmental conditions may favour the development of perennial woody life forms.

The model system used in the project will be the genus Echium (Boraginaceae). In Poland and other parts of continental Europe, Echium species are herbaceous plants, whereas closely related species occurring in the Canary Islands grow as woody shrubs or small trees.

The project will investigate whether the transition from herbaceous to woody forms may have been accompanied by changes in plant interactions with soil microorganisms, particularly mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza, a symbiotic association between plant roots and fungi, can facilitate the uptake of mineral nutrients, especially phosphorus, and increase plant resistance to environmental stress, such as drought. At the same time, a strong dependence on symbionts and the absence of suitable symbiotic partners in newly colonized areas may limit the ability to colonize islands and act as a so-called mycorrhizal filter. The herbaceous ancestors of the Canarian Echium species may have passed through such a filter during island colonization simply because they did not “use the services” of root symbionts. After colonizing the islands, they may have established new relationships with local soil microorganisms, which could have supported their adaptation to drought and limited phosphorus availability, promoting perenniality, greater shoot persistence, and the evolution of woody forms.

The project will involve collecting root and soil samples from 18 Echium species: woody species from the Canary Islands and their herbaceous relatives from continental Europe. The material will be collected from natural plant populations. The analyses will include an assessment of root colonisation by mycorrhizal fungi, examination of root anatomical traits and analysis of soil properties, including phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium content, pH, moisture and organic matter. The composition of the fungal and bacterial microbiome will also be analysed. The results will be compared with the existing phylogeny of the genus Echium.

The project will determine whether the evolution of woody plant forms on islands may be associated not only with climate, isolation and habitat conditions, but also with plant interactions with soil microorganisms. The study is a pilot project, and the data obtained will be used to develop broader comparative research on secondary woodiness in several independent plant lineages from Macaronesia, including the genus Daucus, whose island representatives have also evolved into shrubby and tree-like forms.