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Jing M, Yang W, Rao L, Chen J, Ding X, Zhou Y, Zhang Q, Lu K, Zhu J. Mechanisms of microbial coexistence in a patchy ecosystem: Differences in ecological niche overlap and species fitness between rhythmic and non-rhythmic species. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 256:121626. [PMID: 38642534 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Resource patchiness caused by external events breaks the continuity and homogeneity of resource distribution in the original ecosystem. For local organisms, this leads to drastic changes in the availability of resources, breaks down the co-existence of species, and reshuffles the local ecosystem. West Lake is a freshwater lake with resource patchiness caused by multiple exogenous disturbances that has strong environmental heterogeneity that prevents clear observation of seasonal changes in the microbial communities. Despite this, the emergence of rhythmic species in response to irregular changes in the environment has been helpful for observing microbial communities dynamics in patchy ecosystems. We investigated the ecological mechanisms of seasonal changes in microbial communities in West Lake by screening rhythmic species based on the ecological niche and modern coexistence theories. The results showed that rhythmic species were the dominant factors in microbial community changes and the effects of most environmental factors on the microbial community were indirectly realised through the rhythmic species. Random forest analyses showed that seasonal changes in the microbial community were similarly predicted by the rhythmic species. In addition, we incorporated species interactions and community phylogenetic patterns into stepwise multiple regression analyses, the results of which indicate that ecological niches and species fitness may drive the coexistence of these subcommunities. Thus, this study extends our understanding of seasonal changes in microbial communities and provides new ways for observing seasonal changes in microbial communities, especially in ecosystems with resource patches. Our study also show that combining community phylogenies with co-occurrence networks based on ecological niches and modern coexistence theory can further help us understand the ecological mechanisms of interspecies coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- MingFei Jing
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, No.169 Qixingnan Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China
| | - Wen Yang
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, No.169 Qixingnan Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China
| | - Lihua Rao
- Division of Hangzhou West Lake Aquatic Area Management, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Division of Hangzhou West Lake Aquatic Area Management, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Xiuying Ding
- Division of Hangzhou West Lake Aquatic Area Management, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Yinying Zhou
- Division of Hangzhou West Lake Aquatic Area Management, Hangzhou 310002, China
| | - Quanxiang Zhang
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, No.169 Qixingnan Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China
| | - Kaihong Lu
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, No.169 Qixingnan Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China
| | - Jinyong Zhu
- School of Marine Science, Ningbo University, No.169 Qixingnan Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315800, China.
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Rähn E, Lutter R, Riit T, Tullus T, Tullus A, Tedersoo L, Drenkhan R, Tullus H. Soil mycobiomes in native European aspen forests and hybrid aspen plantations have a similar fungal richness but different compositions, mainly driven by edaphic and floristic factors. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1372938. [PMID: 38774505 PMCID: PMC11106484 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1372938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The cultivation of short-rotation tree species on non-forest land is increasing due to the growing demand for woody biomass for the future bioeconomy and to mitigate climate change impacts. However, forest plantations are often seen as a trade-off between climate benefits and low biodiversity. The diversity and composition of soil fungal biota in plantations of hybrid aspen, one of the most planted tree species for short-rotation forestry in Northern Europe, are poorly studied. Methods The goal of this study was to obtain baseline knowledge about the soil fungal biota and the edaphic, floristic and management factors that drive fungal richness and communities in 18-year-old hybrid aspen plantations on former agricultural soils and compare the fungal biota with those of European aspen stands on native forest land in a 130-year chronosequence. Sites were categorized as hybrid aspen (17-18-year-old plantations) and native aspen stands of three age classes (8-29, 30-55, and 65-131-year-old stands). High-throughput sequencing was applied to soil samples to investigate fungal diversity and assemblages. Results Native aspen forests showed a higher ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal OTU richness than plantations, regardless of forest age. Short-distance type EcM genera dominated in both plantations and forests. The richness of saprotrophic fungi was similar between native forest and plantation sites and was highest in the middle-aged class (30-55-year-old stands) in the native aspen stands. The fungal communities of native forests and plantations were significantly different. Community composition varied more, and the natural forest sites were more diverse than the relatively homogeneous plantations. Soil pH was the best explanatory variable to describe soil fungal communities in hybrid aspen stands. Soil fungal community composition did not show any clear patterns between the age classes of native aspen stands. Conclusion We conclude that edaphic factors are more important in describing fungal communities in both native aspen forest sites and hybrid aspen plantation sites than forest thinning, age, or former land use for plantations. Although first-generation hybrid aspen plantations and native forests are similar in overall fungal diversity, their taxonomic and functional composition is strikingly different. Therefore, hybrid aspen plantations can be used to reduce felling pressure on native forests; however, our knowledge is still insufficient to conclude that plantations could replace native aspen forests from the soil biodiversity perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Rähn
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Reimo Lutter
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Taavi Riit
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tea Tullus
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arvo Tullus
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Leho Tedersoo
- Mycology and Microbiology Center, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Rein Drenkhan
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hardi Tullus
- Chair of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, Institute of Forestry and Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
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Voller F, Ardanuy A, Taylor AFS, Johnson D. Maintenance of host specialisation gradients in ectomycorrhizal symbionts. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:1426-1435. [PMID: 37984824 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Many fungi that form ectomycorrhizas exhibit a degree of host specialisation, and individual trees are frequently colonised by communities of mycorrhizal fungi comprising species that fall on a gradient of specialisation along genetic, functional and taxonomic axes of variation. By contrast, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi exhibit little specialisation. Here, we propose that host tree root morphology is a key factor that gives host plants fine-scale control over colonisation and therefore opportunities for driving specialisation and speciation of ectomycorrhizal fungi. A gradient in host specialisation is likely driven by four proximate mechanistic 'filters' comprising partner availability, signalling recognition, competition for colonisation, and symbiotic function (trade, rewards and sanctions), and the spatially restricted colonisation seen in heterorhizic roots enables these mechanisms, especially symbiotic function, to be more effective in driving the evolution of specialisation. We encourage manipulation experiments that integrate molecular genetics and isotope tracers to test these mechanisms, alongside mathematical simulations of eco-evolutionary dynamics in mycorrhizal symbioses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Voller
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Dover Street, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Agnès Ardanuy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Dover Street, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, UMR DYNAFOR, Castanet-Tolosan, 31320, France
| | - Andy F S Taylor
- Ecological Sciences Group, James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Dover Street, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
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Kandlikar GS. Quantifying soil microbial effects on plant species coexistence: A conceptual synthesis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024:e16316. [PMID: 38659131 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Soil microorganisms play a critical role in shaping the biodiversity dynamics of plant communities. These microbial effects can arise through direct mediation of plant fitness by pathogens and mutualists, and over the past two decades, numerous studies have shined a spotlight on the role of dynamic feedbacks between plants and soil microorganisms as key determinants of plant species coexistence. Such feedbacks occur when plants modify the composition of the soil community, which in turn affects plant performance. Stimulated by a theoretical model developed in the 1990s, a bulk of the empirical evidence for microbial controls over plant coexistence comes from experiments that quantify plant growth in soil communities that were previously conditioned by conspecific or heterospecific plants. These studies have revealed that soil microbes can generate strong negative to positive frequency-dependent dynamics among plants. Even as soil microbes have become recognized as a key player in determining plant coexistence outcomes, the past few years have seen a renewed interest in expanding the conceptual foundations of this field. New results include re-interpretations of key metrics from classic two-species models, extensions of plant-soil feedback theory to multispecies communities, and frameworks to integrate plant-soil feedbacks with processes like intra- and interspecific competition. Here, I review the implications of theoretical developments for interpreting existing empirical results and highlight proposed analyses and designs for future experiments that can enable a more complete understanding of microbial regulation of plant community dynamics.
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Ullah A, Gao D, Wu F. Common mycorrhizal network: the predominant socialist and capitalist responses of possible plant-plant and plant-microbe interactions for sustainable agriculture. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1183024. [PMID: 38628862 PMCID: PMC11020090 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1183024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Plants engage in a variety of interactions, including sharing nutrients through common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), which are facilitated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These networks can promote the establishment, growth, and distribution of limited nutrients that are important for plant growth, which in turn benefits the entire network of plants. Interactions between plants and microbes in the rhizosphere are complex and can either be socialist or capitalist in nature, and the knowledge of these interactions is equally important for the progress of sustainable agricultural practice. In the socialist network, resources are distributed more evenly, providing benefits for all connected plants, such as symbiosis. For example, direct or indirect transfer of nutrients to plants, direct stimulation of growth through phytohormones, antagonism toward pathogenic microorganisms, and mitigation of stresses. For the capitalist network, AMF would be privately controlled for the profit of certain groups of plants, hence increasing competition between connected plants. Such plant interactions invading by microbes act as saprophytic and cause necrotrophy in the colonizing plants. In the first case, an excess of the nutritional resources may be donated to the receiver plants by direct transfer. In the second case, an unequal distribution of resources occurs, which certainly favor individual groups and increases competition between interactions. This largely depends on which of these responses is predominant ("socialist" or "capitalist") at the moment plants are connected. Therefore, some plant species might benefit from CMNs more than others, depending on the fungal species and plant species involved in the association. Nevertheless, benefits and disadvantages from the interactions between the connected plants are hard to distinguish in nature once most of the plants are colonized simultaneously by multiple fungal species, each with its own cost-benefits. Classifying plant-microbe interactions based on their habitat specificity, such as their presence on leaf surfaces (phyllospheric), within plant tissues (endophytic), on root surfaces (rhizospheric), or as surface-dwelling organisms (epiphytic), helps to highlight the dense and intricate connections between plants and microbes that occur both above and below ground. In these complex relationships, microbes often engage in mutualistic interactions where both parties derive mutual benefits, exemplifying the socialistic or capitalistic nature of these interactions. This review discusses the ubiquity, functioning, and management interventions of different types of plant-plant and plant-microbe interactions in CMNs, and how they promote plant growth and address environmental challenges for sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Ullah
- Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Danmei Gao
- Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Fengzhi Wu
- Department of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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Delavaux CS, Angst JK, Espinosa H, Brown M, Petticord DF, Schroeder JW, Broders K, Herre EA, Bever JD, Crowther TW. Fungal community dissimilarity predicts plant-soil feedback strength in a lowland tropical forest. Ecology 2024; 105:e4200. [PMID: 37897325 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbes impact plant community structure and diversity through plant-soil feedbacks. However, linking the relative abundance of plant pathogens and mutualists to differential plant recruitment remains challenging. Here, we tested for microbial mediation of pairwise feedback using a reciprocal transplant experiment in a lowland tropical forest in Panama paired with amplicon sequencing of soil and roots. We found evidence that plant species identity alters the microbial community, and these changes in microbial composition alter subsequent growth and survival of conspecific plants. We also found that greater community dissimilarity between species in their arbuscular mycorrhizal and nonpathogenic fungi predicted increased positive feedback. Finally, we identified specific microbial taxa across our target functional groups that differentially accumulated under conspecific settings. Collectively, these findings clarify how soil pathogens and mutualists mediate net feedback effects on plant recruitment, with implications for management and restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille S Delavaux
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Kansas Biological Survey, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Janika K Angst
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hilario Espinosa
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, SENACYT, Panama City, Panama
- Universidad de Panama, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Exactas y Tecnología, Departamento de Botánica, Panama City, Panama
- Coiba Scientific Station (Coiba AIP), Panama City, Panama
| | - Makenna Brown
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel F Petticord
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Kirk Broders
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research Unit, Peoria, Illinois, USA
| | - Edward A Herre
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - James D Bever
- Kansas Biological Survey, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Thomas W Crowther
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
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7
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Johnson D, Liu X, Burslem DFRP. Symbiotic control of canopy dominance in subtropical and tropical forests. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:995-1003. [PMID: 37087357 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Subtropical and tropical forests in Asia often comprise canopy dominant trees that form symbioses with ectomycorrhizal fungi, and species-rich understorey trees that form symbioses with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We propose a virtuous phosphorus acquisition hypothesis to explain this distinct structure. The hypothesis is based on (i) seedlings being rapidly colonised by ectomycorrhizal fungi from established mycelial networks that generates positive feedback and resistance to pathogens, (ii) ectomycorrhizal fungi having evolved a suite of morphological, physiological, and molecular traits to enable them to capture phosphorus from a diversity of chemical forms, including organic forms, and (iii) allocation of photosynthate carbon from adult host plants to provide the energy needed to undertake these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Michael Smith Building, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
| | - Xubing Liu
- Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - David F R P Burslem
- School of Biological Sciences, Cruickshank Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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Karst J, Jones MD, Hoeksema JD. Positive citation bias and overinterpreted results lead to misinformation on common mycorrhizal networks in forests. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:501-511. [PMID: 36782032 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-01986-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
A common mycorrhizal network (CMN) is formed when mycorrhizal fungal hyphae connect the roots of multiple plants of the same or different species belowground. Recently, CMNs have captured the interest of broad audiences, especially with respect to forest function and management. We are concerned, however, that recent claims in the popular media about CMNs in forests are disconnected from evidence, and that bias towards citing positive effects of CMNs has developed in the scientific literature. We first evaluated the evidence supporting three common claims. The claims that CMNs are widespread in forests and that resources are transferred through CMNs to increase seedling performance are insufficiently supported because results from field studies vary too widely, have alternative explanations or are too limited to support generalizations. The claim that mature trees preferentially send resources and defence signals to offspring through CMNs has no peer-reviewed, published evidence. We next examined how the results from CMN research are cited and found that unsupported claims have doubled in the past 25 years; a bias towards citing positive effects may obscure our understanding of the structure and function of CMNs in forests. We conclude that knowledge on CMNs is presently too sparse and unsettled to inform forest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Karst
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Melanie D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jason D Hoeksema
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, USA
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Zhao W, Wang X, Howard MM, Kou Y, Liu Q. Functional shifts in soil fungal communities regulate differential tree species establishment during subalpine forest succession. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160616. [PMID: 36462659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Soil fungi can differentially affect plant performance and community dynamics. While fungi play key roles in driving the plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) that promote grassland succession, it remains unclear how the fungi-mediated PSFs affect tree species establishment during forest succession. We inoculated pioneer broadleaf (Betula platyphylla and Betula albosinensis) and nonpioneer coniferous tree seedlings (Picea asperata and Abies faxoniana) with fungal-dominated rooting zone soils collected from dominant plant species of early-, mid- and late-successional stages in a subalpine forest, and compared their biomass and fungal communities. All tree species accumulated abundant pathogenic fungi in early-successional inoculated soil, which generated negative biotic feedbacks and lowered seedling biomass. High levels of soil ectomycorrhizal fungi from mid- and late-successional stages resulted in positive biotic PSFs and strongly facilitated slow-growing coniferous seedling performance to favour successional development. B. albosinensis also grew better in mid- and late-successional soils with fewer pathogenic fungi than in early-successional soil, indicating its large susceptibility to pathogen attack. In contrast, the growth of another pioneer tree, B. platyphylla, was significantly suppressed in late-successional soil and was mostly driven by saprotrophic fungi, despite the unchanged pathogenic fungal community traits between the two fast-growing species. This unexpected result suggested a host specificity-dependent mechanism involved in the different impacts of fungal pathogens on host trees. Our findings reveal a critical role of functional shifts in soil fungal communities in mediating differential PSFs of tree species across successional stages, which should be considered to improve the prediction and management of community development following forest disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaohu Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mia M Howard
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Yongping Kou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qing Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Zobel M, Moora M, Pärtel M, Semchenko M, Tedersoo L, Öpik M, Davison J. The multiscale feedback theory of biodiversity. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:171-182. [PMID: 36182404 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Plants and their environments engage in feedback loops that not only affect individuals, but also scale up to the ecosystem level. Community-level negative feedback facilitates local diversity, while the ability of plants to engineer ecosystem-wide conditions for their own benefit enhances local dominance. Here, we suggest that local and regional processes influencing diversity are inherently correlated: community-level negative feedback predominates among large species pools formed under historically common conditions; ecosystem-level positive feedback is most apparent in historically restricted habitats. Given enough time and space, evolutionary processes should lead to transitions between systems dominated by positive and negative feedbacks: species-poor systems should become richer due to diversification of dominants and adaptation of subordinates; however, new monodominants may emerge due to migration or new adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Zobel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Mari Moora
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marina Semchenko
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Leho Tedersoo
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Biology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Maarja Öpik
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - John Davison
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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Tree mycorrhizal type mediates conspecific negative density dependence effects on seedling herbivory, growth, and survival. Oecologia 2022; 199:907-918. [PMID: 35920917 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Tree mycorrhizal type plays an important role in promoting plant species diversity and coexistence, via its mediating role in conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD), i.e., the process by which an individual's performance is impaired by the density of conspecific plants. Previous findings suggest that ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species are generally less susceptible to CNDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species, due to the chemical and physical protection that EM fungi provide their host with. We examined how CNDD effects on leaf herbivory, seedling growth, and survival differ between AM and EM seedlings of ten tree species collected over 3 years in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China. We found that AM and EM seedlings differed in how conspecific density affected their leaf herbivory, seedling growth, and survival. Specifically, AM seedlings leaf herbivory rates significantly increased with increasing conspecific seedling and adult density, and their growth and survival rates decreased with increasing conspecific adult density, these patterns were, however, absent in EM seedlings. Our work suggests that AM seedlings have a performance disadvantage relative to EM seedlings related to the negative effects from conspecific neighbors. We highlight the importance of integrating information on seedling leaf herbivory, seedling growth, to provide further understanding on potential mechanisms driving differences in CNDD between AM and EM tree seedlings.
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12
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Jevon FV, De La Cruz D, LaManna JA, Lang AK, Orwig DA, Record S, Kouba PV, Ayres MP, Matthes JH. Experimental and observational evidence of negative conspecific density dependence in temperate ectomycorrhizal trees. Ecology 2022; 103:e3808. [PMID: 35792423 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD) promotes tree species diversity by reducing recruitment near conspecific adults due to biotic feedbacks from herbivores, pathogens, or competitors. While this process is well-described in tropical forests, tests of temperate tree species range from strong positive to strong negative density dependence. To explain this, several studies have suggested that tree species traits may help predict the strength and direction of density dependence: for example, ectomycorrhizal-associated tree species typically exhibit either positive or weaker negative conspecific density dependence. More generally, the strength of density dependence may be predictably related to other species-specific ecological attributes such as shade tolerance, or the relative local abundance of a species. To test the strength of density dependence and whether it affects seedling community diversity in a temperate forest, we tracked the survival of seedlings of three ectomycorrhizal-associated species experimentally planted beneath conspecific and heterospecific adults on the Prospect Hill tract of the Harvard Forest, in Massachusetts, USA. Experimental seedling survival was always lower under conspecific adults, which increased seedling community diversity in one of six treatments. We compared these results to evidence of CNDD from observed sapling survival patterns of 28 species over approximately 8 years in an adjacent 35-hectare forest plot. We tested whether species-specific estimates of CNDD were associated with mycorrhizal association, shade tolerance, and local abundance. We found evidence of significant, negative conspecific density dependence (CNDD) in 23 of 28 species, and positive conspecific density dependence in two species. Contrary to our expectations, ectomycorrhizal-associated species generally exhibited stronger (e.g. more negative) CNDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal- associated species. CNDD was also stronger in more shade tolerant species but was not associated with local abundance. Conspecific adult trees often have a negative influence on seedling survival in temperate forests, particularly for tree species with certain traits. Here we found strong experimental and observational evidence that ectomycorrhizal-associating species consistently exhibit CNDD. Moreover, similarities in the relative strength of density dependence from experiments and observations of sapling mortality suggest a mechanistic link between negative effects of conspecific adults on seedling and sapling survival and local tree species distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona V Jevon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Dayna De La Cruz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Joseph A LaManna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ashley K Lang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - David A Orwig
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, USA
| | - Sydne Record
- Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paige V Kouba
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Matthew P Ayres
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
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13
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Weng W, Yan J, Zhou M, Yao X, Gao A, Ma C, Cheng J, Ruan J. Roles of Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungi as a Biocontrol Agent in the Control of Plant Diseases. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071266. [PMID: 35888985 PMCID: PMC9317293 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a class of beneficial microorganisms that are widely distributed in soil ecosystems and can form symbionts with 80% of terrestrial higher plants, and improve the nutritional status of plants. The use of AMF as a biocontrol method to antagonize soil-borne pathogens has received increasing interest from phytopathologists and ecologists. In this paper, the mechanisms of resistance to diseases induced by AMF and the application of AMF to plant fungal, bacterial, and nematode diseases have been summarized. This study aimed to enhance the potential use of AMF as a biological control method to prevent plant diseases in the future. Root morphological alteration characteristics were explained, including the influence of AMF on root structure, function, and the regulation of AMF via secondary metabolites. AMF can improve the rhizosphere environment by influencing the physical and chemical proprieties of soil, enhancing the growth of other beneficial microorganisms, and by competing with pathogenic microorganisms. Two microorganism types may compete for the same invasive sites in root systems and regulate nutrition distribution. AMF can induce the host plant to form defense systems, including improving phytohormone concentrations, inducing signal substrate production, gene expression regulation, and enhancing protein production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Weng
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Coarse Cereal Processing in Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Schools of Food and Biological Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China;
| | - Meiliang Zhou
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Xin Yao
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Aning Gao
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Chao Ma
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Jianping Cheng
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
| | - Jingjun Ruan
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; (W.W.); (X.Y.); (A.G.); (C.M.); (J.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +86-8510-8830-5238
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Semchenko M, Barry KE, de Vries FT, Mommer L, Moora M, Maciá-Vicente JG. Deciphering the role of specialist and generalist plant-microbial interactions as drivers of plant-soil feedback. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:1929-1944. [PMID: 35338649 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Feedback between plants and soil microbial communities can be a powerful driver of vegetation dynamics. Plants elicit changes in the soil microbiome that either promote or suppress conspecifics at the same location, thereby regulating population density-dependence and species co-existence. Such effects are often attributed to the accumulation of host-specific antagonistic or beneficial microbiota in the rhizosphere. However, the identity and host-specificity of the microbial taxa involved are rarely empirically assessed. Here we review the evidence for host-specificity in plant-associated microbes and propose that specific plant-soil feedbacks can also be driven by generalists. We outline the potential mechanisms by which generalist microbial pathogens, mutualists and decomposers can generate differential effects on plant hosts and synthesize existing evidence to predict these effects as a function of plant investments into defence, microbial mutualists and dispersal. Importantly, the capacity of generalist microbiota to drive plant-soil feedbacks depends not only on the traits of individual plants but also on the phylogenetic and functional diversity of plant communities. Identifying factors that promote specialization or generalism in plant-microbial interactions and thereby modulate the impact of microbiota on plant performance will advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant-soil feedback and the ways it contributes to plant co-existence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Semchenko
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Liivi 2, 50409, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kathryn E Barry
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Institute of Science, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Franciska T de Vries
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94240, 1090 GE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mari Moora
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Liivi 2, 50409, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Jose G Maciá-Vicente
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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15
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LaManna JA, Jones FA, Bell DM, Pabst RJ, Shaw DC. Tree species diversity increases with conspecific negative density dependence across an elevation gradient. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:1237-1249. [PMID: 35291051 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Elevational and latitudinal gradients in species diversity may be mediated by biotic interactions that cause density-dependent effects of conspecifics on survival or growth to differ from effects of heterospecifics (i.e. conspecific density dependence), but limited evidence exists to support this. We tested the hypothesis that conspecific density dependence varies with elevation using over 40 years of data on tree survival and growth from 23 old-growth temperate forest stands across a 1,000-m elevation gradient. We found that conspecific-density-dependent effects on survival of small-to-intermediate-sized focal trees were negative in lower elevation, higher diversity forest stands typically characterised by warmer temperatures and greater relative humidity. Conspecific-density-dependent effects on survival were less negative in higher elevation stands and ridges than in lower elevation stands and valley bottoms for small-to-intermediate-sized trees, but were neutral for larger trees across elevations. Conspecific-density-dependent effects on growth were negative across all tree size classes and elevations. These findings reveal fundamental differences in biotic interactions that may contribute to relationships between species diversity, elevation and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A LaManna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - F Andrew Jones
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancon, Republic of Panama
| | - David M Bell
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Robert J Pabst
- Department of Forest Ecosystems & Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - David C Shaw
- Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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16
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Figueiredo AF, Boy J, Guggenberger G. Common Mycorrhizae Network: A Review of the Theories and Mechanisms Behind Underground Interactions. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2021; 2:735299. [PMID: 37744156 PMCID: PMC10512311 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2021.735299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Most terrestrial plants establish symbiotic associations with mycorrhizal fungi for accessing essential plant nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungi have been frequently reported to interconnect plants via a common mycelial network (CMN), in which nutrients and signaling compounds can be exchanged between the connected plants. Several studies have been performed to demonstrate the potential effects of the CMN mediating resource transfer and its importance for plant fitness. Due to several contrasting results, different theories have been developed to predict benefits or disadvantages for host plants involved in the network and how it might affect plant communities. However, the importance of the mycelium connections for resources translocation compared to other indirect pathways, such as leakage of fungi hyphae and subsequent uptake by neighboring plant roots, is hard to distinguish and quantify. If resources can be translocated via mycelial connections in significant amounts that could affect plant fitness, it would represent an important tactic for plants co-existence and it could shape community composition and dynamics. Here, we report and critically discuss the most recent findings on studies aiming to evaluate and quantify resources translocation between plants sharing a CMN and predict the pattern that drives the movement of such resources into the CMN. We aim to point gaps and define open questions to guide upcoming studies in the area for a prospect better understanding of possible plant-to-plant interactions via CMN and its effect in shaping plants communities. We also propose new experiment set-ups and technologies that could be used to improve previous experiments. For example, the use of mutant lines plants with manipulation of genes involved in the symbiotic associations, coupled with labeling techniques to track resources translocation between connected plants, could provide a more accurate idea about resource allocation and plant physiological responses that are truly accountable to CMN.
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17
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Kuyper TW. Networks of friends and foes and the fate of tree seedlings. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1688-1689. [PMID: 33843064 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Kuyper
- Soil Biology Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands
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18
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Ardanuy A, Walker JKM, Kritzler U, Taylor AFS, Johnson D. Tripartite symbioses regulate plant–soil feedback in alder. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Ardanuy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Michael Smith building The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Jennifer K. M. Walker
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Michael Smith building The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Ully Kritzler
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Michael Smith building The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Andy F. S. Taylor
- The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen UK
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences Cruickshank Building University of Aberdeen Aberdeen UK
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Michael Smith building The University of Manchester Manchester UK
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