The document discusses how hydrocarbon seepage from underground fuel reserves affects soil chemistry and the microbial communities in the rhizosphere. It suggests that fracking and other fuel harvesting techniques may reduce hydrocarbon seepage, changing the soil chemistry and microbes that trees have coevolved with over millions of years. This could cause tree diseases as the trees are no longer able to get nutrients from microbes they depend on. Environmental problems like invasive species taking over could also be related to changes in soil chemistry making conditions less suitable for indigenous plants.

1. The most epic disaster.
Tree disease or soil chemistry
change?

2. The rhizo-sphere : an area of soil surrounding a plant root which has a different
composition due to the presence of the root.
Within the rhizo-sphere is a unique microbial community which is both
dependent on, and necessary for, the plant.
Rhizo-sphere.

3. The soil chemistry of an area is dependent on everything around.
One thing that affects it is hydrocarbon seepage, which feeds microbes and
has a dramatic effect. Hydrocarbons seep through cracks, but also
homogeneously through pores in rock. Not all concentrations are of value
to prospectors, but all affect soil chemistry.
Some plants are even being used because the microbes supported by their
rhizo-sphere break down toxic hydrocarbons 1000 times more than other
microbial communities.
Hydrocarbon seepage occurs above every fuel reserve. Even small amounts
of seepage can affect soil chemistry. A huge percent of the surface sees
seep of some quantity.

4. These trees evolved with a symbiotic fungus, which feeds on the natural
hydrocarbon seepage that existed for millions of years. But seepage is dynamic, and
reduces with fossil fuel harvest.

5. Following a gas frack, there is less seepage. The microbes and fungus that once
occupied the area are replaced with microbes and fungus which can live without it. The
trees are now also unable to get their nutrients. They depended on the microbes that
lived there before, which over millions of years had become symbiotic.

6. So, in this way, couldn’t it be possible that tree diseases, such as “ash die-back”
might be caused by fracking and other fuel harvesting techniques?
Could other environmental problems such as invasive species be similarly related?
(For example, the soil is no longer the most desirable environment for an
indigenous plant, but some other plant excels in the new chemistry.)