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Radujković D, Verbruggen E, Clavel J, Pauchard A, Fuentes-Lillo E, Barros A, Aschero V, Haider S, Ratier Backes A, Pergl J, Vítková M, Lučanová A, Nuñez MA, Lenoir J, Nijs I, Lembrechts JJ. Road Disturbance Shifts Root Fungal Symbiont Types and Reduces the Connectivity of Plant-Fungal Co-Occurrence Networks in Mountains. Mol Ecol 2025:e17771. [PMID: 40277330 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2024] [Revised: 01/10/2025] [Accepted: 04/10/2025] [Indexed: 04/26/2025]
Abstract
Roads are currently one of the most disruptive anthropogenic disturbances to mountain ecosystems worldwide. These disturbances can have a profound effect on roadside soil properties and vegetation, typically favouring fast-growing and ruderal species. However, their effect on plant-associated fungal communities and plant-fungal interactions remains largely unknown. In this study, we examined the changes in root-associated fungal communities as well as plant-fungal and fungal-fungal co-occurrence networks along mountain roads from four biogeographical regions. We found that roadsides consistently altered plant and fungal community composition, generally favouring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and putative plant pathogens at the expense of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Moreover, roadsides consistently reduced the complexity of plant-fungal and fungal-fungal co-occurrence networks (with 66%-95% and 40%-94% reduction in total edge density, respectively), even though the richness of fungal communities was not reduced and many of the naturally occurring highly connected taxa were still present. Our findings suggest that altered and transient conditions in the roadsides may favour more generalist symbionts like AMF and pathogens with low fidelity for particular hosts as opposed to surrounding natural vegetation which is dominated by symbionts with higher specificity for the host (like ectomycorrhizal fungi). We conclude that road disturbance may have a consistent negative imprint on connectivity between plants and fungi; a consequence that deserves attention as it could render mountain roadside systems unstable and vulnerable to further pressures such as climate change and invasive species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Radujković
- Plants and Ecosystems Group (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- Plants and Ecosystems Group (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jan Clavel
- Plants and Ecosystems Group (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Aníbal Pauchard
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Invasiones Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Eduardo Fuentes-Lillo
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Santiago, Chile
- Laboratorio de Invasiones Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Agustina Barros
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Valeria Aschero
- Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Sylvia Haider
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Lüneburg, Germany
| | - Amanda Ratier Backes
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jan Pergl
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Vítková
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Lučanová
- Department of Invasion Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin A Nuñez
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Division of Ecology & Evolution, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UMR CNRS 7058, Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Ivan Nijs
- Plants and Ecosystems Group (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jonas J Lembrechts
- Plants and Ecosystems Group (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Ecology & Biodiversity, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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2
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Radujković D, Vicca S, van Rooyen M, Wilfahrt P, Brown L, Jentsch A, Reinhart KO, Brown C, De Gruyter J, Jurasinski G, Askarizadeh D, Bartha S, Beck R, Blenkinsopp T, Cahill J, Campetella G, Canullo R, Chelli S, Enrico L, Fraser L, Hao X, Henry HAL, Hohn M, Jouri MH, Koch M, Lawrence Lodge R, Li FY, Lord JM, Milligan P, Minggagud H, Palmer T, Schröder B, Szabó G, Zhang T, Zimmermann Z, Verbruggen E. Consistent predictors of microbial community composition across spatial scales in grasslands reveal low context-dependency. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6924-6938. [PMID: 37873915 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Environmental circumstances shaping soil microbial communities have been studied extensively. However, due to disparate study designs, it has been difficult to resolve whether a globally consistent set of predictors exists, or context-dependency prevails. Here, we used a network of 18 grassland sites (11 of those containing regional plant productivity gradients) to examine (i) if similar abiotic or biotic factors predict both large-scale (across sites) and regional-scale (within sites) patterns in bacterial and fungal community composition, and (ii) if microbial community composition differs consistently at two levels of regional plant productivity (low vs. high). Our results revealed that bacteria were associated with particular soil properties (such as base saturation) and both bacteria and fungi were associated with plant community composition across sites and within the majority of sites. Moreover, a discernible microbial community signal emerged, clearly distinguishing high and low-productivity soils across different grasslands independent of their location in the world. Hence, regional productivity differences may be typified by characteristic soil microbial communities across the grassland biome. These results could encourage future research aiming to predict the general effects of global changes on soil microbial community composition in grasslands and to discriminate fertile from infertile systems using generally applicable microbial indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dajana Radujković
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sara Vicca
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Margaretha van Rooyen
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Peter Wilfahrt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Leslie Brown
- Applied Behavioural Ecology & Ecosystem Research Unit, Dept. Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kurt O Reinhart
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (or USDA-ARS), Fort Keogh Livestock& Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, Montana, USA
| | - Charlotte Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Johan De Gruyter
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gerald Jurasinski
- Landscape Ecology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Diana Askarizadeh
- Department of Rehabilitation of Arid and Mountainous Regions, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sandor Bartha
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Ryan Beck
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Theodore Blenkinsopp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - James Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Giandiego Campetella
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Roberto Canullo
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Stefano Chelli
- Unit of Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management, School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Lucas Enrico
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (CONICET-UNC) and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Lauchlan Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiying Hao
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hugh A L Henry
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Hohn
- Department of Botany, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Marian Koch
- Soil Physics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | | | - Frank Yonghong Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Janice M Lord
- Department of Botany - Te Tari Huaota, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Patrick Milligan
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Hugjiltu Minggagud
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Todd Palmer
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Gábor Szabó
- Environmental Sciences Doctoral School, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllő, Hungary
| | - Tongrui Zhang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zita Zimmermann
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- Department of Biology, Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Universiteitsplein 1, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
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3
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Kong W, Qiu L, Ishii S, Jia X, Su F, Song Y, Hao M, Shao M, Wei X. Contrasting response of soil microbiomes to long-term fertilization in various highland cropping systems. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:81. [PMID: 37596350 PMCID: PMC10439144 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00286-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbiomes play important roles in supporting agricultural ecosystems. However, it is still not well-known how soil microbiomes and their functionality respond to fertilization in various cropping systems. Here we examined the effects of 36 years of phosphorus, nitrogen, and manure application on soil bacterial communities, functionality and crop productivity in three contrasting cropping systems (i.e., continuous leguminous alfalfa (AC), continuous winter wheat (WC), and grain-legume rotation of winter wheat + millet - pea - winter wheat (GLR)) in a highland region of China's Loess Plateau. We showed that long-term fertilization significantly affected soil bacterial communities and that the effects varied with cropping system. Compared with the unfertilized control, fertilization increased soil bacterial richness and diversity in the leguminous AC system, whereas it decreased those in the GLR system. Fertilization, particularly manure application, enlarged the differences in soil bacterial communities among cropping systems. Soil bacterial communities were mostly affected by the soil organic carbon and nitrogen contents in the WC and GLR systems, but by the soil available phosphorous content in the AC system. Crop productivity was closely associated with the abundance of fertilization-responsive taxa in the three cropping systems. Our study highlights that legume and non-legume cropping systems should be disentangled when assessing the responses of soil microbial communities to long-term fertilizer application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Liping Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Satoshi Ishii
- BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Xiaoxu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Fuyuan Su
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Yu Song
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Mingde Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Mingan Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaorong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, 712100, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
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4
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Gerrits GM, Waenink R, Aradottir AL, Buisson E, Dutoit T, Ferreira MC, Fontaine JB, Jaunatre R, Kardol P, Loeb R, Magro Ruiz S, Maltz M, Pärtel M, Peco B, Piqueray J, Pilon NAL, Santa‐Regina I, Schmidt KT, Sengl P, van Diggelen R, Vieira DLM, von Brackel W, Waryszak P, Wills TJ, Marrs RH, Wubs ERJ. Synthesis on the effectiveness of soil translocation for plant community restoration. J Appl Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.14364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gijs M. Gerrits
- Mathematical and Statistical Methods Group (Biometris) Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Rik Waenink
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group Wageningen University and Research Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Asa L. Aradottir
- Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences Agricultural University of Iceland Reykjavik Iceland
| | - Elise Buisson
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) Avignon University, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IRD Avignon France
| | - Thierry Dutoit
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) Avignon University, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IRD Avignon France
| | - Maxmiller C. Ferreira
- Ecology Graduate Program Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília Brasília Brazil
| | - Joseph B. Fontaine
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences Murdoch University Perth Australia
| | - Renaud Jaunatre
- Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) Avignon University, Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IRD Avignon France
- University of Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, LESSEM St‐Martin‐d'Hères France
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Umeå Sweden
| | - Roos Loeb
- B‐WARE Research Centre Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | | | - Mia Maltz
- Riverside, Center for Conservation Biology University of California Riverside California USA
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences University of Tartu Tartu Estonia
| | - Begona Peco
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG), Department of Ecology Institute for Biodiversity and Global Change, Autonomous University of Madrid Madrid Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Philip Sengl
- Engineering office for Biology Sankt Anna am Aigen Austria
| | - Rudy van Diggelen
- Department of Biology Ecosystem Management Research Group, University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium
| | - Daniel L. M. Vieira
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology Brasília Brazil
| | - Wolfgang von Brackel
- Büro für Vegetationskundlich‐Ökologische Gutachten & Lichenologie Röttenbach Germany
| | - Pawel Waryszak
- Deakin University Burwood Victoria Australia
- University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba Queensland Australia
| | - Tim J. Wills
- The Ecology Office Pty Ltd Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Rob H. Marrs
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
| | - E. R. Jasper Wubs
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen The Netherlands
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5
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Reynaert S, Zi L, AbdElgawad H, De Boeck HJ, Vindušková O, Nijs I, Beemster G, Asard H. Does previous exposure to extreme precipitation regimes result in acclimated grassland communities? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156368. [PMID: 35654184 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change will likely increase weather persistence in the mid-latitudes, resulting in precipitation regimes (PR) with longer dry and wet periods compared to historic averages. This could affect terrestrial ecosystems substantially through the increased occurrence of repeated, prolonged drought and water logging conditions. Climate history is an important determinant of ecosystem responses to consecutive environmental extremes, through direct damage, community restructuring as well as morphological and physiological acclimation in species or individuals. However, it is unclear how community restructuring and individual metabolic acclimation effects interact to determine ecosystem responses to subsequent climate extremes. Here, we investigated, if and how, differences in exposure to extreme or historically normal PR induced long-lasting (i.e. legacy) effects at the level of community (e.g., species composition), plant (e.g., biomass), and molecular composition (e.g., sugars, lipids, stress markers). Experimental grassland communities were exposed to long (extreme) or short (historically normal) dry/wet cycles in year 1 (Y1), followed by exposure to an identical PR or the opposite PR in year 2 (Y2). Results indicate that exposure to extreme PR in Y1, reduced diversity but induced apparent acclimation effects in all climate scenarios, stimulating biomass (higher productivity and structural sugar content) in Y2. In contrast, plants pre-exposed to normal PR, showed more activated stress responses (higher proline and antioxidants) under extreme PR in Y2. Overall, Y1 acclimation effects were strongest in the dominant grasses, indicating comparatively high phenotypical plasticity. However, Y2 drought intensity also correlated with grass productivity and structural sugar findings, suggesting that responses to short-term soil water deficits contributed to the observed patterns. Interactions between different legacy effects are discussed. We conclude that more extreme PR will likely alter diversity in the short-to midterm and select for acclimated grassland communities with increased productivity and attenuated molecular stress responses under future climate regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Reynaert
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Lin Zi
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Hamada AbdElgawad
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62511, Egypt
| | - Hans J De Boeck
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Olga Vindušková
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Prague 128 01, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Nijs
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gerrit Beemster
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Han Asard
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
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6
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Blaalid R, Davey ML. Habitat Protection Approaches Facilitate Conservation of Overlooked Fungal Diversity - A Case Study From the Norwegian Coastal Heathland System. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:886685. [PMID: 37746238 PMCID: PMC10512255 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.886685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
European coastal heathlands are distinct ecosystems shaped by land use tradition and they have experienced an 80% area reduction from their historical maximum. These mosaics of mires and wind exposed patches have ericaceous shrub dominated vegetation, and soils within coastal heathlands are characterized by low pH and high levels of recalcitrant debris. Using a culture-based approach with molecular identification of isolates, we characterized root-associated fungal communities of six ericaceous species in eight heathland localities along Norway's western coast. Site-level alpha diversity ranged from 21-38 OTUs, while the total estimated gamma diversity for culturable heathland root fungi was 190-231 OTUs. Most species recovered are previously reported at low abundance in Norway, suggesting the biodiversity in this community is underreported, rather than novel for science. The fungi recovered were primarily Ascomycota, specifically endophytic Phialocephala, and Pezicula, and no host specificity was observed in the communities. The fungal communities exhibited high turnover and low nestedness, both between ericaceous hosts and across heathland sites. We observed no spatial patterns in fungal betadiversity, and this heterogeneity may be a product of the unique historic land use practices at each locality creating a distinct mycofloral "fingerprint". Robust diversity estimates will be key for managing fungal biodiversity in coastal heathlands. Our results indicate that sampling schemes that maximize the number of host plants sampled per site, rather than the number of cultures per plant yield improved alpha diversity estimates. Similarly, gamma diversity estimates are improved by maximizing the total number of localities sampled, rather than increasing the number of plants sampled per locality. We argue that while the current protected status of coastal heathland habitats and restoration efforts have knock-on effects for the conservation of fungal biodiversity, fungi have a vital functional role in the ecosystem and holistic conservation plans that consider fungal biodiversity would be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakel Blaalid
- Department of Natural History, University Museum of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NINA Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Marie L. Davey
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Terrestrial Biodiversity Department, Trondheim, Norway
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7
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Lane M, Hanley ME, Lunt P, Knight ME, Braungardt CB, Ellis JS. Addition of composted green waste and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi fails to facilitate establishment of Atlantic heathland species. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Lane
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
- SIBELCO Ltd., Headon Works, Cornwood, Ivybridge Devon PL21 9PW U.K
| | - Mick E. Hanley
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
| | - Paul Lunt
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
| | - Mairi E. Knight
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
| | - Charlotte B. Braungardt
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
| | - Jon S. Ellis
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences University of Plymouth, Drake Circus Plymouth Devon PL4 8AA U.K
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