Host preference and network properties in biotrophic plant–fungal associations

Põlme, Sergei; Bahram, Mohammad; Jacquemyn, Hans; Kennedy, Peter G.; Kohout, Petr; Moora, Mari; Oja, Jane; Öpik, Maarja; Pecoraro, Vincent L.; Tedersoo, Leho

doi:10.1111/nph.14895

Cited by 119 publications

(141 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Despite finding evidence for AM fungal specificity to host plant species, we did not find evidence for a phylogenetic signal of host plants on AM fungal community structure (Figure d). This finding is consistent with a synthesis study by Põlme et al () using previously published datasets. In a meta‐analysis, Veresoglou and Rillig () explored phylogenetic host specificity in AM fungal communities to reach a counter‐intuitive conclusion that closely related co‐occurring plants tend to have dissimilar AM fungal communities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Plant geographic origin and phylogeny as potential drivers of community structure in root‐inhabiting fungi

2019

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Root‐inhabiting fungal communities, including mutualists and antagonists, influence host plant performance, and can potentially shape plant community composition. However, there is uncertainty about how root‐inhabiting fungal communities are structured, and if fungal community characteristics are significant predictors of host plant abundance. In this study, we first assessed how root‐inhabiting fungal communities were structured in relation to the phylogeny and geographic origins (native vs. exotic) of their host plants in an old‐field community. In addition, we took into consideration the spatial arrangements (i.e. physical locations) of the individual host plants. We then tested if the relative abundances of pathogenic and beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi could predict host plant abundances. We found that host plant phylogeny was an important factor in structuring the whole fungal community, irrespective of host plant origin. Furthermore, the spatial arrangements of individual host plants were a strong predictor of AM fungal community structure. Host plant phylogeny and spatial arrangements appeared to similarly affect the structure of pathogenic fungal communities. No distinct differences were observed between native and exotic plant species in fungal community characteristics. The relative abundances of AM and pathogenic fungi were not significant predictors for observed abundances of their host plants. Synthesis. Host plant phylogeny and spatial arrangements can structure naturally occurring root‐inhabiting fungal communities. The absence of distinct differences in fungal community composition, including pathogens, in exotic and native plants suggests long residence times and the consequent naturalization of exotic species in the region, allowing for the establishment of similar plant–microbial interactions between native and exotic species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Plant geographic origin and phylogeny as potential drivers of community structure in root‐inhabiting fungi

2019

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“…The network of interacting plants and AM fungi in a dry calcareous grassland exhibited a significantly higher level of nestedness than would be expected from null models. Nested structure is typical of aboveground mutualistic interaction networks (Bascompte, Jordano, Melián, & Olesen, ); Põlme et al () also recorded a varying degree of nestedness both in endophytic and in belowground mycorrhizal and plant–fungal networks. Other studies, however, have not found nestedness in belowground plant–fungal interactions: in ectomycorrhizal (Bahram, Harend, & Tedersoo, ), ericoid mycorrhizal (Toju, Tanabe, & Ishii, ) or belowground plant–fungal networks in general (Toju, Guimarães, Olesen, & Thompson, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Comparisons among mutualistic plant–fungal networks of different mycorrhizal type have indeed demonstrated common properties, such as relationships between network structure and climatic variables (Põlme et al, ). However, they have also indicated that descriptions of interaction network structure are critically sensitive to the number of locally sampled species (Põlme et al, ). In this study, we explored the interaction network formed by vascular plant species and root symbiotic AM fungi at a ca 1,000 m 2 dry calcareous grassland site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non‐random association patterns in a plant–mycorrhizal fungal network reveal host–symbiont specificity

et al. 2018

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are obligate plant symbionts that have important functions in most terrestrial ecosystems, but there remains an incomplete understanding of host–fungus specificity and the relationships between species and functional groups of plants and AM fungi. Here, we aimed to provide a comprehensive description of plant–AM fungal interactions in a biodiverse semi‐natural grassland. We sampled all plant species in a 1,000‐m2 homogeneous plot of dry calcareous grassland in two seasons (summer and autumn) and identified root‐colonizing AM fungi by SSU rDNA sequencing. In the network of 33 plant and 100 AM fungal species, we found a significant effect of both host plant species and host plant functional group on AM fungal richness and community composition. Comparison with network null models revealed a larger‐than‐random degree of partner selectivity among plants. Grasses harboured a larger number of AM fungal partners and were more generalist in partner selection, compared with forbs. More generalist partner association and lower specialization were apparent among obligately, compared with facultatively, mycorrhizal plant species and among locally more abundant plant species. This study provides the most complete data set of co‐occurring plant and AM fungal taxa to date, showing that at this particular site, the interaction network is assembled non‐randomly, with moderate selectivity in associations between plant species and functional groups and their fungal symbionts.

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“…However, these factors have less impact on root‐associated than on soil‐localized mycorrhizal fungi (Goldmann et al., ). In managed forests, silvicultural measures, especially the selection of tree species, influence mycorrhizal associations because of fungal host preferences (Lang, Seven, & Polle, ; Pena et al., ) and also because tree species‐specific traits influence habitat properties (Bahnmann et al., ; Põlme et al., ; Urbanová, Šnajdr, & Baldrian, ). However, at larger biogeographic scales of temperate forest ecosystems, the consequences of forest management on the taxonomic and trophic structure of RAMs are unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

et al. 2018

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Root‐associated mycobiomes (RAMs) link plant and soil ecological processes, thereby supporting ecosystem functions. Understanding the forces that govern the assembly of RAMs is key to sustainable ecosystem management. Here, we dissected RAMs according to functional guilds and combined phylogenetic and multivariate analyses to distinguish and quantify the forces driving RAM assembly processes. Across large biogeographic scales (>1,000 km) in temperate forests (>100 plots), RAMs were taxonomically highly distinct but composed of a stable trophic structure encompassing symbiotrophic, ectomycorrhizal (55%), saprotrophic (7%), endotrophic (3%) and pathotrophic fungi (<1%). Taxonomic community composition of RAMs is explained by abiotic factors, forest management intensity, dominant tree family (Fagaceae, Pinaceae) and root resource traits. Local RAM assemblies are phylogenetically clustered, indicating stronger habitat filtering on roots in dry, acid soils and in conifer stands than in other forest types. The local assembly of ectomycorrhizal communities is driven by forest management intensity. At larger scales, root resource traits and soil pH shift the assembly process of ectomycorrhizal fungi from deterministic to neutral. Neutral or weak deterministic assembly processes are prevalent in saprotrophic and endophytic guilds. The remarkable consistency of the trophic composition of the RAMs suggests that temperate forests attract fungal assemblages that afford functional resilience under the current range of climatic and edaphic conditions. At local scales, the filtering processes that structure symbiotrophic assemblies can be influenced by forest management and tree selection, but at larger scales, environmental cues and host resource traits are the most prevalent forces.

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Host preference and network properties in biotrophic plant–fungal associations

Cited by 119 publications

References 78 publications

Plant geographic origin and phylogeny as potential drivers of community structure in root‐inhabiting fungi

Plant geographic origin and phylogeny as potential drivers of community structure in root‐inhabiting fungi

Non‐random association patterns in a plant–mycorrhizal fungal network reveal host–symbiont specificity

Assembly processes of trophic guilds in the root mycobiome of temperate forests

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