Examining Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Saltmarsh Hay (<i>Spartina patens</i>) and Smooth Cordgrass (<i>Spartina alterniflora</i>) in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia

d’Entremont, Tyler W.; López-Gutiérrez, Juan C.; Walker, Allison K.

doi:10.1656/045.025.0107

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…We hypothesized that these properties would be altered at the edge of a habitat because S. patens decreases in above-and belowground productivity as inundation from tides increases (Snedden et al 2015;Watson et al 2016). Unlike the dominant, low-elevation grass S. alterniflora, S. patens has a mycorrhizal association that is negatively impacted by flooding which could impact nutrient uptake (Burke et al 2002;d'Entremont et al 2018). However, neither our proxy for inundation (marsh elevation) nor habitat location (habitat edge vs. interior) appeared to impact the production of S. patens, despite culm length being positively correlated with marsh elevation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat edge effects decrease litter accumulation and increase litter decomposition in coastal salt marshes

et al. 2020

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Context Habitat fragmentation is known to be one of the leading causes of species extinctions, however few studies have explored how habitat fragmentation impacts ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling, especially in wetland ecosystems. Objectives We aimed to determine how habitat fragmentation, defined by habitat area and distance from habitat edge, impacts the above-ground carbon cycling and nutrient stoichiometry of a foundation species in a coastal salt marsh. Methods We conducted our research in a salt marsh in the Mid-Atlantic United States, where the foundation grass species Spartina patens is being replaced by a more flood-tolerant grass, leading to highly fragmented habitat patches. We quantified decomposition rates, live biomass, and litter accumulation of S. patens at patch edges and interiors. Additionally, we measured relevant characteristics (e.g., habitat area, elevation, microclimate) of S. patens patches. Results Habitat edge effects, and not habitat area effects, had distinct impacts on ecosystem functioning. Habitat edges had less litter accumulation, faster decomposition rates, a warmer and drier microclimate, and lower elevations than patch interiors. Patches with low elevation edges had the fastest decomposition rates, while interiors of patches at any elevation had the slowest decomposition rates. Notably, these impacts were not driven by changes in primary production. Conclusion Habitat fragmentation impacts the above-ground carbon cycling of S. patens in coastal wetlands by altering litter decomposition, but not primary production, through habitat edge effects. Future research should investigate whether this pattern scales across broader landscapes and if it is observable in other wetland ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat edge effects decrease litter accumulation and increase litter decomposition in coastal salt marshes

et al. 2020

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“…However, is such a framework adequate/appropriate for interactions in marine environments? Significant efforts have attempted to link fungal presence/activity with diseases and syndromes (58), and examples of mutualistic interactions have been identified (59–63). Would alternative means for describing these interactions be appropriate?…”

Section: How Do Fungi Interact With the Marine Biosphere?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Fungi in the Marine Environment: Open Questions and Unsolved Problems

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Burgaud

Cunliffe

et al. 2019

mBio

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Terrestrial fungi play critical roles in nutrient cycling and food webs and can shape macroorganism communities as parasites and mutualists. Although estimates for the number of fungal species on the planet range from 1.5 to over 5 million, likely fewer than 10% of fungi have been identified so far. To date, a relatively small percentage of described species are associated with marine environments, with ∼1,100 species retrieved exclusively from the marine environment. Nevertheless, fungi have been found in nearly every marine habitat explored, from the surface of the ocean to kilometers below ocean sediments. Fungi are hypothesized to contribute to phytoplankton population cycles and the biological carbon pump and are active in the chemistry of marine sediments. Many fungi have been identified as commensals or pathogens of marine animals (e.g., corals and sponges), plants, and algae. Despite their varied roles, remarkably little is known about the diversity of this major branch of eukaryotic life in marine ecosystems or their ecological functions. This perspective emerges from a Marine Fungi Workshop held in May 2018 at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. We present the state of knowledge as well as the multitude of open questions regarding the diversity and function of fungi in the marine biosphere and geochemical cycles.

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“…Fungi identified in this study such as Lulworthia sp. Phaeosphaeria halima, Phaeosphaeria spartinicola, Scheffersomyces spartinae , and Funneliformis geosporum are known from other saltmarshes in the USA and Canada (Filip and Alberts, 1993; Walker and Campbell, 2010; Kurtzman et al ., 2011; d'Entremont et al ., 2018). Phaeosphaeria halima and P. spartinicola have both been isolated from the leaves of S. alterniflorus and play important roles in the decomposition of Sporobolus litter and nutrient cycling in saltmarsh habitats (Filip and Alberts, 1993; Buchan et al ., 2002; Walker and Campbell, 2010).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Occurrence may be from suspension in the water column (Kurtzman et al ., 2011). Funneliformis geosporum forms a mutualistic relationship with both Sporobolus alterniflorus and Sporobolus pumilus in Nova Scotia saltmarshes (d'Entremont et al ., 2018). Funneliformis geosporum is an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus that colonizes Sporobolus roots, although the strength of the interaction is different for S. pumilus and S. alterniflorus ; the former is more extensively colonized than the latter.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Saltmarsh sediment fungal communities have been studied in southeastern Louisiana, USA, focusing on rhizosphere community shifts after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (Lumibao et al ., 2018). Fungi associated with North American saltmarsh Sporobolus include arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiont (AMF) Funneliformis geosporum (Wilde et al ., 2009; d'Entremont et al ., 2018), the primary shoot decomposers such as Phaeosphaeria spartinicola (Buchan et al ., 2002; Walker and Campbell, 2010), and Fusarium pathogens of Sporobolus , F. palustre and F. incarnatum‐equiseti (Elmer and Marra, 2011). Interestingly, a culture‐based study from New Brunswick, Canada saltmarsh sediment using buried wooden baits recovered a different fungal community, dominated by ascomycete fungi (Mansfield and Bärlocher, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Saltmarsh rhizosphere fungal communities vary by sediment type and dominant plant species cover in Nova Scotia, Canada

d’Entremont

Migicovsky

López‐Gutiérrez

et al. 2020

Environ Microbiol Rep

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We surveyed Spartina saltmarsh sediment rhizosphere fungal communities at three saltmarshes and two timepoints in coastal Nova Scotia. Based on ITS2 Illumina miSeq rDNA data and multivariate analysis, neither sediment zone nor collection period correlated with fungal ASV richness, but collection site did. However, Shannon diversity indicated that sediment zone played a significant role in fungal diversity. For unweighted and weighted UniFrac distance, site was the major factor driving beta-diversity, with sediment zone and collection period having smaller roles. Sediment type and saltmarsh plant species may play important roles in structuring rhizosphere fungal assemblages, here dominated by ascomycetes. To our knowledge, our study is the first to assess fungal sediment communities in saltmarshes in Atlantic Canada using metabarcoding. It provides a biodiversity analysis of sediment fungi in a poorly studied but highly important ecosystem and points to their roles in nutrient cycling, blue carbon, coastal stability and coastal restoration. Our work will inform ongoing saltmarsh restoration in Atlantic Canada.

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Examining Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Saltmarsh Hay (Spartina patens) and Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) in the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia

Cited by 16 publications

References 37 publications

Habitat edge effects decrease litter accumulation and increase litter decomposition in coastal salt marshes

Habitat edge effects decrease litter accumulation and increase litter decomposition in coastal salt marshes

Fungi in the Marine Environment: Open Questions and Unsolved Problems

Saltmarsh rhizosphere fungal communities vary by sediment type and dominant plant species cover in Nova Scotia, Canada

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