Abstract
Abstract. Maritime pine forests are a major ecosystem throughout the Portuguese coast and are severely affected by the invasion of Acacia longifolia. The presented study investigated the diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) of major plant species in these ecosystems to find possible links between Pinus pinaster, three native Cistaceae shrubs and the Acacia invasive species. We successfully identified 13 ECM fungal taxa. Within those, two species from the order Helotiales were found in all plant species, and over half of the fungal ECM species found in Pinus pinaster were also common to the Cistaceae shrubs. Network analysis points to the Cistaceae shrubs having a central role in these below-ground communities, therefore enforcing the idea that they are key to these communities and should not be underestimated. Our results also point to the evolving role of invasive plant species in the ecosystem dynamics in the rhizosphere, which host fungal species that are common to native plants, although it is not yet clear whether these fungal taxa are native or a consequence of the presence of Acacia longifolia.
Highlights
Plants can obtain many benefits from establishing mycorrhizal associations, for instance, better access to nutrient and water supplies and higher resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses (Smith and Read, 2006)
In this study we investigated the ECM fungal communities of the most frequent plant hosts in a coastal maritime pine forest, namely Pinus pinaster, three Cistaceae shrubs (Cistus salviifolius, Cistus psilosepalus and Halimium halimifolium), and the invasive species (Acacia longifolia)
ECM fungal species associated with Halimium halimifolium are described for the first time and the results are in line with those obtained with above-ground fruiting body surveys (Taudiere et al, 2015)
Summary
Plants can obtain many benefits from establishing mycorrhizal associations, for instance, better access to nutrient and water supplies and higher resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses (Smith and Read, 2006). The fundamental role of ECM fungi in ecosystem dynamics, nutrient cycling and plant performance is well established (Itoo and Reshi, 2014; Smith and Read, 2006) and approximately 25 000 species of fungi have been described as being able to establish ectomycorrhizal associations (Rincón et al, 2015; Tedersoo et al, 2010; Tedersoo and Smith, 2013), Pinus pinaster, the “maritime pine”, is distributed along the western Mediterranean basin (Campelo et al, 2015), inhabiting mainly acid and silicon coastal soils (Berthier, 2001). Maritime pine forests are a major ecosystem throughout the Portuguese coast and are severely affected by the invasion of Acacia longifolia
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
