Relationship between Soil Fungi and Seedling Density in the Vicinity of Adult Conspecifics in an Arid Desert Forest

Abstract

Research Highlights: 1. Soil fungi have a higher influence on seedling density compared to soil environmental factors; 2. Host-specific pathogens and beneficial fungi affect seeding density via different influencing mechanisms. Background and Objectives: The growth and development of seedlings are the key processes that affect forest regeneration and maintain community dynamics. However, the influencing factors of seedling growth around their adult conspecifics are not clear in arid desert forests. Probing the intrinsic relations among soil fungi, soil environmental factors (pH, water content, salinity, and nutrition), and seedling density will improve our understanding of forest development and provide a theoretical basis for forest management and protection. Materials and Methods: Four experimental plot types, depending on the distance to adult conspecifics, were set in an arid desert forest. Soil environmental factors, the diversity and composition of the soil fungal community, and the seedlings’ density and height were measured in the four experimental plot types, and their mutual relations were analyzed. Results: Seedling density as well as the diversity and composition of the soil fungal community varied significantly among the four plot types (p < 0.05). Soil environmental factors, especially soil salinity, pH, and soil water content, had significant influences on the seedling density and diversity and composition of the soil fungal community. The contribution of soil fungi (72.61%) to the variation in seedling density was much higher than the soil environmental factors (27.39%). The contribution of detrimental fungi to the variation in seedling density was higher than the beneficial fungi. Conclusions: Soil fungi mostly affected the distribution of seedling density in the vicinity of adult conspecifics in an arid desert forest. The distribution of seedling density in the vicinity of adults was mainly influenced by the detrimental fungi, while the adults in the periphery area was mainly influenced by the beneficial fungi.

Hydraulic constraints determine the distribution of heteromorphic leaves along plant vertical height

“…It is known that leaf shapes of P. euphratica change with vertical heights ( Iqbal et al., 2017 ; Zhai et al., 2020 ). As suggested from Long et al. (2021) , P. euphratica individuals can be divided into small (height<2.0 m), medium (2.0 ≤ height ≤ 4.5 m), and large (height >4.5 m) trees by using its height.…”

“…It is known that leaf shapes of P. euphratica change with vertical heights (Iqbal et al, 2017;Zhai et al, 2020). As suggested from Long et al (2021), P. euphratica individuals can be divided into small (height<2.0 m), medium (2.0 ≤ height ≤ 4.5 m), and large (height >4.5 m) trees by using its height. The lanceolate leaves grow near the ground (i.e., all crown of the small trees and the bottom of the medium and large tree crowns), while the ovate leaves distributed in the higher vertical position (i.e., the top of the medium tree crowns and the intermediate of the large tree crowns), but the broad-ovate leaves only located at the top of the large tree crowns (Figure 1).…”

Morphological characterization and biocontrol potential of Trichoderma species isolated from semi-arid soils

“…In some geographical sites with greater rainfalls, there is availability of organic matter and host plants, and the abundance of Trichoderma is higher (Harman et al, 2004;Garnica-Vergara et al, 2016). In the semiarid areas in which high temperatures prevail almost all year round, a limiting factor is humidity, which affects plants negatively and indirectly reduces the diversity and abundance of microorganisms in the soil (Silva et al, 2020), such as bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, related to plants of agronomic or forestry interest, among others (Long et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2021). Although Trichoderma spp.…”

“…Revista Mexicana de FITOPATOLOGÍA Mexican Journal of Phytopathology orgánica y plantas hospederas, la abundancia de Trichoderma es mayor (Harman et al, 2004;Garnica-Vergara et al, 2016). En las zonas semiáridas donde prevalecen las altas temperaturas durante casi todo el año, un factor limitante es la humedad, que afecta negativamente a las plantas e indirectamente disminuye la diversidad y abundancia de los microorganismos del suelo (Silva et al, 2020), como bacterias, hongos, actinomicetos, asociados a plantas de interés agronómico, forestal, entre otras (Long et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2021). Aunque Trichoderma spp.…”

Influence management and disturbances on the regeneration of forest stands

“…The regeneration encompasses seed production (Vacchiano et al, 2018;Bogdziewicz et al, 2020), dispersal of seeds/fruits (Gómez et al, 2019), seed/fruit predation (Huth et al, 2017;Löf et al, 2019), seed germination and emergence (Löf et al, 2019), seedling survival (Vaz et al, 2019;Guignabert et al, 2020), and seedling establishment (Davis and Jonhson, 1987;Leonardsson et al, 2015). The aforementioned is interlinked with the species traits (Hupperts et al, 2020;Brüllhardt et al, 2022), stand structure and silvicultural system (Tinya et al, 2019;Guignabert et al, 2020), site (Pernot et al, 2019;Rosenvald, 2020), and biotic agents (Ibáñez and McCarthy-Neumann, 2016;Long et al, 2021).…”