Snow Fungi—Induced Mortality of <i>Pinus cembra</i> at the Alpine Treeline: Evidence from Plantations

Barbeito, Ignacio; Brücker, Regina L.; Rixen, Christian; Bebi, Peter

doi:10.1657/1938-4246-45.4.455

Cited by 63 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(64 reference statements)

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“…For example, Brown and Vellend () found that mortality of sugar maple seedlings from soil‐borne root pathogens was greater at the upper elevational range limit, than in the centre of the range. Similarly, saplings of the stone moss pine, Pinus cembra , have been shown to suffer higher mortality from snow‐associated fungal pathogens at higher elevations (Barbeito, Brucker, Rixen, & Bebi, ). In the two high‐elevation Dianthus species in our study, we see a general decrease in anther smut prevalence at upper elevations after accounting for the effects of host density, which could be indicative of limitations on either the fungus or its pollinator vectors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a disease‐free halo at species range limits? The codistribution of anther‐smut disease and its host species

2018

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While disease is widely recognized as affecting host population size, it has rarely been considered to play a role in determining host range limits. Many diseases may not be able to persist near the range limit if host population density falls below the critical threshold level for pathogen invasion. However, in vector‐ and sexually transmitted diseases, pathogen transmission may be largely independent of host density and theory demonstrates that diseases with frequency‐dependent transmission may persist in small populations near the range limit. Empirical studies of disease at species range limits have lagged behind the theory, and to date, no previous study has tested the hypothesis that vector or sexually transmitted diseases can be maintained at host range limits. We studied the distribution of anther‐smut disease, a sterilizing pollinator‐transmitted disease, on four alpine plant species to determine whether disease was present at the host range limits. We found that host abundance declined towards the elevational range limits, and disease extended to the most extreme elevational range limits in three of the four host species. Maximum likelihood estimation of the magnitude of the disease‐free halo showed that it was small or nonexistent for all host species. Moreover, disease prevalence within populations was often higher nearer the host's range limit than in the range centre and was independent of host density. Synthesis. Our results show that diseases where transmission is frequency‐dependent have the potential to affect host distributions not just in theory, but also in real world populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a disease‐free halo at species range limits? The codistribution of anther‐smut disease and its host species

2018

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“…The effect of changing climate on plant‐associated mycobiomes and entire phytobiomes has been debated intensively (reviewed in Vandenkoornhuyse et al ., ), with partly contradicting results and predictions, depending on the targeted variables (CO 2 , Hagedorn et al ., ; temperature, Streit et al ., ; snow, Barbeito et al ., ), organisms (microbes, Deslippe et al ., ; plant, Elmendorf et al ., ; protist, Geisen et al ., ) and micro‐environments (soil, Deslippe et al ., ; leaf and roots, Fujimura et al ., ). This underlines the complexity of interactions and responses, as well as the difficulties of an appropriate choice of variables, technologies and analytical methods.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat conditions and phenological tree traits overrule the influence of tree genotype in the needle mycobiome–Picea glauca system at an arctic treeline ecotone

et al. 2016

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SummaryPlant-associated mycobiomes in extreme habitats are understudied and poorly understood. We analysed Illumina-generated ITS1 sequences from the needle mycobiome of white spruce (Picea glauca) at the northern treeline in Alaska (USA). Sequences were obtained from the same DNA that was used for tree genotyping. In the present study, fungal metabarcoding and tree microsatellite data were compared for the first time.In general, neighbouring trees shared more fungal taxa with each other than trees growing in further distance. Mycobiomes correlated strongly with phenological host traits and local habitat characteristics contrasting a dense forest stand with an open treeline site. Genetic similarity between trees did not influence fungal composition and no significant correlation existed between needle mycobiome and tree genotype.Our results suggest the pronounced influence of local habitat conditions and phenotypic tree traits on needle-inhabiting fungi. By contrast, the tree genetic identity cannot be benchmarked as a dominant driver for needle-inhabiting mycobiomes, at least not for white spruce in this extreme environment.

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“…This dynamic responsiveness is seen in both naturally occurring and invasive interactions. For example, the altitudinal positioning of tree lines in some parts of the Alps is driven by the impact of snow blight fungi on the survival of seedlings and young saplings of Pinus cembra (Barbeito, Brücker, Rixen, & Bebi, ) and P. mugo (Senn, ). In those situations the depth and temporal duration of the annual snow pack directly affects pine survival and hence the interplay between forest and alpine meadow communities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change accelerates local disease extinction rates in a long‐term wild host–pathogen association

Zhan

Ericson

Burdon

2018

Global Change Biology

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Pathogens are a significant component of all plant communities. In recent years, the potential for existing and emerging pathogens of agricultural crops to cause increased yield losses as a consequence of changing climatic patterns has raised considerable concern. In contrast, the response of naturally occurring, endemic pathogens to a warming climate has received little attention. Here, we report on the impact of a signature variable of global climate change - increasing temperature - on the long-term epidemiology of a natural host-pathogen association involving the rust pathogen Triphragmium ulmariae and its host plant Filipendula ulmaria. In a host-pathogen metapopulation involving approximately 230 host populations growing on an archipelago of islands in the Gulf of Bothnia we assessed changes in host population size and pathogen epidemiological measures over a 25-year period. We show how the incidence of disease and its severity declines over that period and most importantly demonstrate a positive association between a long-term trend of increasing extinction rates in individual pathogen populations of the metapopulation and increasing temperature. Our results are highly suggestive that changing climatic patterns, particularly mean monthly growing season (April-November) temperature, are markedly influencing the epidemiology of plant disease in this host-pathogen association. Given the important role plant pathogens have in shaping the structure of communities, changes in the epidemiology of pathogens have potentially far-reaching impacts on ecological and evolutionary processes. For these reasons, it is essential to increase understanding of pathogen epidemiology, its response to warming, and to invoke these responses in forecasts for the future.

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Snow Fungi—Induced Mortality of Pinus cembra at the Alpine Treeline: Evidence from Plantations

Cited by 63 publications

References 65 publications

Is there a disease‐free halo at species range limits? The codistribution of anther‐smut disease and its host species

Is there a disease‐free halo at species range limits? The codistribution of anther‐smut disease and its host species

Habitat conditions and phenological tree traits overrule the influence of tree genotype in the needle mycobiome–Picea glauca system at an arctic treeline ecotone

Climate change accelerates local disease extinction rates in a long‐term wild host–pathogen association

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