Fungal community composition and diversity in the rhizosphere soils of Argentina (syn. Potentilla) anserina, on the Qinghai Plateau

Abstract

Fungal communities and diversity in the rhizosphere soil of Argentina (syn . Potentilla ) anserina were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. Soil fungal communities changed seasonally; nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents in the soil were highly correlated with specific fungal groups and distributions. At the class level, the fungal community of A. anserina rhizosphere was mainly composed of Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycetes, Dothideomycetes, and Leotiomycetes. Moreover, rhizosphere soil was dominated by Ascomycota and characterized by a relatively high percentage of saprotrophic, parasitic, endophytic, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: Mortierella (3.95 %), Fusarium (3.11 %), Cadophora (2.19 %), Phoma (2.01 %), Preussia (1.18 %) and Glomerales (0.37 %). FUNGuild analysis revealed different fungal ecotypes in rhizosphere soil, including symbiotic, saprotrophic, and pathogenic fungi. The structure and quantity of different ecotypes of fungi showed dynamic changes and may have different functions in the agro-ecosystem. These results provide a theoretical framework for further development and utilization of microbial resources to improve sustainable management strategies. • The rhizosphere fungi of Argentina anserina contain several functional groups. • The fungal OTUs was significantly correlated with environmental factors. • The samples from summer accounted for the lowest diversity than other three seasons. • More than 50 % of fungal OTUs vary with the seasons.