Scale dependency of ectomycorrhizal fungal community assembly processes in Mediterranean mixed forests

The assembly of biological communities depends on deterministic and stochastic processes whose influence varies across spatial and temporal scales. Although ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi play a key role in forest ecosystems, our knowledge on ECM community assembly processes and their dependency on spatial scales is still scarce. We analysed the assembly processes operating on ECM fungal communities associated with Cistus albidus L. and Quercus spp. in Mediterranean mixed forests (Southern Spain), for which root tip ECM fungi were characterized by high-throughput sequencing. The relative contribution of deterministic and stochastic processes that govern the ECM fungal community assembly was inferred by using phylogenetic and compositional turnover descriptors across spatial scales. Our results revealed that stochastic processes had a significantly higher contribution than selection on root tip ECM fungal community assembly. The strength of selection decreased at the smallest scale and it was linked to the plant host identity and the environment. Dispersal limitation increased at finer scales, whilst drift showed the opposite pattern likely suggesting a main influence of priority effects on ECM fungal community assembly. This study highlights the potential of phylogeny to infer ECM fungal community responses and brings new insights into the ecological processes affecting the structure and dynamics of Mediterranean forests.

Soil-borne pathogens as determinants of regeneration patterns at community level in Mediterranean forests

Emergent diseases are an increasing problem in forests worldwide. Exotic pathogens are now threatening forests where pathogens have not traditionally been considered to be major ecological drivers of tree demography, such as water-limited Mediterranean forests. However, how pathogens might limit regeneration in invaded forests is largely unknown. Here we used fungicide to analyse the impact of soil-borne oomycete pathogens on seedling establishment at community level in Mediterranean forests invaded by the exotic oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi. Fungicide effects were modelled as a function of the tree neighbourhood composition, the seed mass of the target species, and the abiotic environment. Fungicide application had positive effects on seedling performance that varied in magnitude and spatial structure among coexisting species. Seed mass predicted fungicide effects on seedling emergence, but not on survival or growth. Positive fungicide effects were modulated by levels of abiotic resources, mainly water, increasing with soil moisture. Our results support a novel role for soil-borne oomycete pathogens as one more axis of the regeneration niche of woody species in water-limited forests. Given the increasing numbers of exotic oomycete pathogens worldwide, more research is needed to understand the role of this relevant microbial group as a factor shaping seedling establishment.